


Opposites

by EccentricAngel



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Badass Reader, Dragons, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Jealousy, Kissing, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Past Child Abuse, Please Kill Me, Post-Avengers (2012), Violence, loki is a little shit, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 38,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22559941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EccentricAngel/pseuds/EccentricAngel
Summary: Reader is a fire-wielding force to be reckoned with and she has grown to think of the Avengers as her family. But when Thor tells her that Loki is still in New York, everything changes.OrReader is tasked with helping rehabilitate Loki and he is determined to make her life hell. So what happens when he escapes?Tags may be updated as the story goes on.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Reader, Loki (Marvel)/You, Slight Thor/Reader, background Pepper Potts/Tony Stark - Relationship
Comments: 23
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have been writing this for like the past 5 years and this is my first time posting anything. I am all for constructive criticism, but if your just a bitch you can fight me. This is totally unbeta'd and I suck at writing so here it is. Also, I CANNOT for the life of me write Thor correctly so please keep that in mind as you are reading lol.
> 
> This fic does have graphic violence and trigger warnings of child abuse. There is a section that is not crucial to read which has these things. The beginning and end of the section will be denoted by *.

You stared out the window of Stark Tower in happiness. The team had just crashed at the Tower after a long mission of saving the world once again. It was winter, the season you loved the most. Not because of the holidays, or the lights, or the atmosphere - it was because of the cold. In the season of winter, the cold brings you pure joy, even though it shouldn't. Cold doesn't exactly agree with you, more like it's your mortal enemy. You are a creature of heat, literally. You can control fire.

You were peacefully gazing at the beautiful falling snow before you were rudely interrupted. 

“Hey, (Y/n). Can’t sleep? Me neither.” Tony Stark didn’t wait for your response as he poured some whiskey in a small glass with some ice.

“No, I think that is just an excuse to get your drink on without your girlfriend pestering you.” You stated the obvious before returning to the window again. You watched in fascination as The white flakes covered the building and mixed with the lights of the bustling city. The snow was hypnotizing and it allowed you to relax. Taking in a deep breath, you leaned against the frosted window. Your unnatural warmth quickly fogged the area of the window around you, blocking your view of the white world. After completely ignoring your comment, Stark observed your behavior and frowned.

“Want some?” He gestured to the half-empty bottle of alcohol on the counter.

“I’ll pass. I don’t drink.” Stark gasped, fake hurt. You smirked against the now slightly warm glass pane. 

“Well, your loss.” He shrugged and sat on the couch across from you while you resumed looking out the large window. You lifted a hand to wipe away the condensation that had formed. Looking out the small opening you had made, you peered out once more. This time instead admiring the large white flakes falling from the sky, you shifted your gaze to the crowds of people down below. There were horns honking and people rushing to get out of the blistering cold into a restaurant or shop. It _is_ nicknamed ‘the city that never sleeps’. You rolled your head back reaching a cold spot on the window again. It was nice on your hot skin. 

“You know that’s like the 5th sigh in like 2 minutes.” Stark pointed out while bringing the almost empty glass to his lips. 

“Really? Thanks for counting.” You rolled your eyes.

“That’s what I’m here for” He chuckled, smirking.

You looked down at the city below again before J.A.R.V.I.S quietly announced someone was entering. You turned to see the one and only Pepper Potts standing in the doorway in a robe with her arms crossed.

“Uh-oh, somebody’s in trouble.” You sang. 

“Tony, I told you no drinking late at night!” Pepper stepped down and took the drink before he could finish it. She stood over him, scolding again. After one last look at the city, you quietly exited, walking up the other marble stairs that led to the elevator. You decided to leave before the traditional make-out session they always had after a fight. It always made you wonder what it would be like to have a person like that in your life. 

When J.A.R.V.I.S indicated that the elevator reached your floor, you stepped out into the wooden hallway. You reached your door, slid the key in, and unlocked it. It was quite similar to a hotel room. There was a living room with a 50 inch flat-screen TV, a small kitchenette, and a large bathroom tied to the master bedroom. 

_Better than my apartment,_ you thought.

This room was dedicated to you after any difficult missions so you could take time to relax before rejoining the blissfully unaware world once more. It was kind of like a safe haven for the team. Not very hungry, you passed up the kitchen and headed for the bath. Hopefully, a nice soak will rid the tenseness in your body. As you entered, you took the time to really take in your surroundings. The room was large and it held many things that caught your eye. The sink was large with a fancy faucet and there were a couple of soft rugs that adorned the floor. But the thing that really got your attention was the large tub in the back. It was beautifully adorned with towels and scented bath products. You padded your way to the tub and turned on the faucet to check the temperature, making sure it was hot enough. You smirked at the layout of bath accessories. 

_Nothing wrong with treating yourself after a long mission._

You stayed in the wonderful bath till it got cold, then you dried off and headed to your bedroom. After checking your phone for any notifications, you stripped out of your clothes and changed into your pj’s. You surveyed the California king-sized bed. 

_Stark really knows how to treat a girl_ , you smirked.

The sheets were white silk and the comforter was large and warm, perfect for the winter. The silk felt wonderful as you slipped under the crisp white sheets and pulled them up to your chin. Looking around, you set your sights on the french doors that led to the balcony. Covered in frost, they were like a portal to a winter wonderland. It was beautiful. You stared out into the snow once more before slowly drifting off to sleep.




You jolted awake, terrified of the darkness that surrounded you. Close to hyperventilating, you took a few deep breaths before releasing the iron grip your shaking hands had on the now crumpled silk sheets. After realizing you were in Stark Tower, you calmed a bit and looked to the small digital clock on your nightstand. It was 2:30, which means you only slept a measly 2 hours. Suddenly, the comforting voice of J.A.R.V.I.S filled the room.

“I am sensing an elevated heat signature and high amounts of adrenaline. Would you like me to contact Dr. Helen for you?” The voice startled you for a moment before you registered what he was saying.

“N-No,” Your voice was dry and scratchy. After clearing your throat you tried again, “No, don’t. I’m fine. I just had a nightmare.” You rushed out. The last thing you wanted was Dr. Helen showing up and running tests. J.A.R.V.I.S simply acknowledged your statement and quieted. You sighed and untangled yourself from the sheets, shuffling to the bathroom. You had the awful nightmare again. It was the 6th time this week. You took deep breaths and splashed a handful of ice-cold water on your face. You ran a hand through your tangled hair and looked at yourself in the vanity mirror. You had started to form bags under your eyes and your eyes looked too tired for a person your age. Knowing you were not going back to sleep with the nightmare still racing around your mind, you needed to get out of the dark room to calm your head. While you changed into more suitable clothes for a night stroll, you went through all of your options. You then decided to reach out to the only person you knew wouldn’t be asleep at this hour. 




You were hesitant to knock on Thor’s door, but you decided that there was nothing wrong with talking to a friend at 2 in the morning, even if your friend is basically a god. After the first few times he found you roaming around the Tower late at night, clearly distressed about the dream, he offered to talk or just listen whenever you needed. He has been your saving grace the last year or so. You smiled as you knocked on the polished wooden door. After hearing a muffled crash and a thump, The door opened to reveal a shirtless Thor munching on a pop tart. You usually found him like this so it really didn’t affect you anymore.

_But still, those abs_ , you raised an eyebrow. 

“(Y/n)! What brings you to my chambers at this hour?” Thor asked in his usual thunderous voice. 

“Shhh!” You pushed past him and hurried into his room.

“Oh, sorry” He whispered loudly. Looking around the room, you saw it was a mess, you just rolled your eyes at the box of pop tarts on the floor. Not wanting to stay in the tower any longer, you said the first thing that came to mind.

“I uh- couldn’t sleep, walk with me?” You suggested. You would feel better after a walk and some fresh, albeit freezing, air.

"Absolutely!” Overjoyed, his voice boomed, echoing through Stark Tower. You cringed at the loud noise, worried he would wake someone. You didn’t want to deal with anyone else at the moment. Thor was the only one you could speak to about your problem. He must have seen your face because he suddenly became serious. He pieced the situation together and nodded. Thor finished the pop tart and hurriedly slipped a shirt on. He smiled as you both walked out of his room. The pair of you entered the elevator and you pressed the button to the ground floor. As you stepped back you spotted Thor staring at you through the reflection of the steel doors. Frowning you turned to him he quickly looked away. You shrugged it off as just curious about your dream. As soon as you reached the bottom floor you wrapped yourselves up in a bunch of warm winter clothing then you and Thor stepped out into the blistering cold.

“I still don’t understand why you like the cold so much. It is, well, cold.” Thor shivered. You laughed as you walked to a nearby café called The Coffee Club.

"Didn’t you fight a whole army of Frost Giants on Jotunheim?” You asked smirking. 

“Yes, well.” He mumbled, his face buried in his bright blue scarf. “The excitement of the battle and the beating of Frost Giants kept me warm.” He smiled and you looked at him incredulously. You smiled and looked over at the large man walking beside you. He had to really care about you to do this every time you had a _nightmare._ You couldn't help but smile as you thought of his kindness. It’s still surprising even after all this time.

It was quiet for a bit before Thor decided to break the silence. He was hesitant at first, then spoke. “(Y/n), did you have the nightmare again?” You sighed and nodded. You just couldn’t seem to be rid of your past. You shifted to the side to allow room for a man not paying attention. Looking up to the hypnotizing snowfall, you recalled the recurring dream.

*

It was always the same. You were almost done with the dishes when your father came home. He was drunk as usual but this time, he was pissed. 

“(Y/N) WHERE THE HELL IS MY BEER?” He yelled from the doorway. You felt a violent shiver run up your spine. You still had bruises from the last time he was like this. Something must have happened at the factory for him to be this angry. 

“I-I think you finished it all.” You tried to focus on the plate you were scrubbing. You prayed to every God you could think of, hoping he would just pass out on the couch. Unfortunately, your prayers didn’t reach their ears. There was a silence as he walked to the fridge and ripped it open. After loudly searching, the fridge slammed shut, making you jump.

“You know what I think? I think you're hiding it from me.” His voice getting gradually louder. He slowly stumbled toward the kitchen table.

“No! I know that it's yours. I c-can go get more if you like?” You gripped the plate so hard you were sure it was going to shatter.

“Are-Are you trying to run away?” Your father slammed his hand on the table behind you jump yet again. Too afraid about what he was going to do next, you stayed silent. You braced for any type of strike. He snatched a nearby empty beer bottle from the table and chucked it at you. You screamed as it shattered against your back, pieces slicing and lodging themselves in your back and legs. You dropped the plate, shattering that also. Your father gripped your arm so tight, you knew it was going to bruise. 

“YOU ARE NEVER EVER LEAVING.” He screamed in your face. You shakingly nodded, fighting through the pain in your back. Your father threw you into a stained wall, making your injuries worse. You saw him advancing toward you and you knew all too well what was going to happen next. Looking up at your violently drunk father, you became blinded by rage and fear. He was supposed to be a supporting and loving parent like all the other dads are! Why were you stuck with the one crazed abusive one? It. Wasn't. FAIR! As soon as he was close enough, you kicked him as hard as you could in the place where the sun doesn’t shine. Connecting and seeing him hunch over, you saw the chance to get out. There was no way in hell you would stay here anymore.

Sharp glass cut into your hands as you pushed off the floor and started to sprint to the front door. You felt a rush of relief as you almost reached it, but the devil decided to intervene. Your legs gave out and you crashed to the floor, not even reaching half-way. Your father recovered fast and you soon felt a bat crack into your ribs. You fell into the table legs, knocking several things to the floor. He grabbed your (h/c) hair and ripped you onto your back. Your head hit the linoleum floor with a sickening crunch. Your vision swam and you couldn’t see him bring the bat down again, smashing into your leg. You were almost knocked out because of the wave of pain, which could only mean he broke something. Clutching your leg, you attempted one last time to get on your feet, but it was futile. You could hear him tossing the bat away. Not a moment later he gripped your hair yet again and punched you repeatedly.

Tears and blood mixed in your eyes, causing your vision to be blurred even more. Hearing another bottle break startled you but you couldn't move. The glass was now everywhere, digging into every inch of unprotected skin. Your father held up a broken bottle and leveled it with your exposed neck. 

“Don’t you even THINK about leaving.” He dropped the bottle to the floor and the only sounds you could hear were your labored breathing before you passed out. 

*

“Are you alright, (Y/n)?” Thor pulled you from your thoughts. He was so close that you could smell a slight strawberry scent on him.

“Oh! Umm, yeah.” You responded flustered. Realizing how close he was, Thor hurriedly backed away and you felt your body heat with the telltale signs of a blush.

“Come on, let’s hurry and escape the cold. Your nose and cheeks are turning red.” Thor set a faster pace and you walk/jogged to catch up with him. You were glad he thought it was from the cold. 

Once you got there, Thor rushed you inside to embrace the warmth of the little shop. The café just opened, and it was also extremely convenient because it was open 24/7 and within walking distance of the Tower. You marveled at all of the quaint little features as you and the large god sat in a nearby booth. The seats were red leather and the table was made of polished wood. It smelled heavily of coffee, and there was a small TV in the corner. It was perfect. 

“So, would you like to smash this place to smithereens.” Thor stopped warming his hands and look at you worriedly. “I’m only kidding Thor, lighten up.” You laughed. Scanning the little room, you saw that you were the only customers there. That made you feel slightly more at ease. Just as you and Thor got settled, a woman about your age walked towards you. Her hair was dark at the roots then it faded into a light blonde. Her skin was tan and she was remarkably pretty. She also seemed vaguely familiar, but you couldn't figure out why. Stopping at the edge of your table, she reached and took out a notepad and pen.  


“Hello, I'm Alex and I'll be your server for this evening. What can I getcha guys?” She asked. When she looked at you she stopped, wide-eyed for a moment. It seemed like she knew you. She suddenly shook her head. “Sorry, I zoned out for a second. Are you ready to order.” She seemed distracted. You frowned, there was something off about her. There was a moment before you realized she was talking to you. 

“Oh, I’ll have a (favorite drink) please.” You turned to Thor as she wrote in her notepad, still trying to figure out why she seemed so familiar. You have never been to this café before, so you racked your brain for an answer.

“And for you, sir?” Alex tapped the pen against the notepad.

“Do you have any of those delicious sugary delicacies?” Alex looked at him so confused. 

“He means pop tarts.” You filled in. You just decided the weird feeling you experienced was just because of your heightened emotional state from everything that happened, so you gave up on trying to figure her out. She just seemed on edge, but you brushed it off to nerves from being a new server.

“Oh, yeah. We've got tonnes in the back. How many would you like?” You were surprised that she laughed and said nothing about how Thor called her a mortal.

“A whole box of the pink ones that taste much like strawberries. Not toasted please.” You held back the urge to laugh as the waitress snorted and scribbled down the last of the order. “What? Did I do it wrong?” Thor looked between the waitress and you, confused.

“No, hot stuff. You did just fine. I’ll be back with your order in a bit.” She walked away laughing, nerves forgotten. As soon as she was gone, Thor’s playful smile vanished as he looked out the window at the continuing construction to rebuild a large skyscraper. He seemed so solemn. Screw your dream what’s up with him, he is never like this. It’s slightly worrisome.

“What’s wrong?” You asked. He must have noticed his sudden change in facial features because he quickly put on another smile. 

“Nothing, (Y/n). All is well.” Thor covered up good, but you saw through it. You thought it was best not to pry. If he wanted, he would tell you. 

_I hope._ You thought. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor asks Reader for help, what will she do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki in this one!!
> 
> There is more violence in this so beware I guess?

After a while, the pop tarts and drink came and the silence was filled with Thor munching. Something was definitely wrong, he usually doesn’t like to eat in silence. You didn’t want to make it any more awkward so you just decided to look into your drink. Soon, you couldn’t keep the thoughts from rushing in and taking over, like the plague. 

_It’s totally my fault he is upset. I dragged him all the way out here over a stupid dream. Something that happened years ago. This is pointless. I’m so_ **_stup-._ ** Your negative thoughts were ruptured by Thor’s warm hand. 

“(Y/n)!” You snapped your head up to see concerned sky blue eyes. It was then you realized you were crying. Shocked, you quickly wiped away the tears before they could fall anymore. Thor took your hand into his and held it tightly. Like magic, he seemed to understand the situation. “I am simply thinking, not angry. In no way is it your fault. I actually rather enjoy our little outings.” Thor explained. He smiled warmly and you gave him a watery one in return. He really is amazing. 

You gave him one final squeeze to signal you were good now. You continued to sip on your almost empty drink. One thing was clear, something was wrong with him. He always cheers you up, now it is your turn to help him. Just as you were reaching the bottom of your drink, you decided to ask him about what he is thinking. And you weren’t going to let up till he told you everything. But as soon as you opened your mouth, Thor burst out.

“I do not wish to upset you anymore, but I have to ask or I might go crazy.” His eyebrows were raised in a show of concern. Startled, your mouth shut with an audible snap. This was not going how you thought it would. Bracing for anything you answered.

“Yes, of course. What is it?” Suspicious, you gestured for him to continue. He hesitated and you just rolled your eyes, sick of the suspension. “Oh, out with it already!” He simply chuckled half-heartedly. He then became serious in an instant before continuing.

“How do you feel about my brother, Loki?” Taken-aback, you almost choked.

“ _Loki_?” You recoiled, the venom clear in your voice. Loki, The God of Mischief, was not someone you thought of often. Mostly because whenever you did, you became so angry you burst into flames. Loki did not leave a good impression on you, or anyone in that matter, after the Battle of New York. He left a special mark on you though, something you could never get rid of. You recalled the first unfortunate meeting with the miserable God. 

~ It all started when Cap asked a favor you couldn't refuse. After the Hulk took down Loki, you were put on watch.

“I know this unfair to ask but, would you mind looking after Loki while we take care of the Chitauri?” Steve asked you. Your eyes bulged out of your head in surprise. At the time you were a newbie to the dysfunctional Avengers team. You only joined about a week or 2 before New York. It was a bit like an initiation to the team so you had no choice but to say yes. The only advice Cap gave you proved to be useful in the end; _do not let your guard down_. It was safe to say you were terrified.

When you walked into the decimated room you had a flame conjured and ready. You took comfort in the burning warmth of your fire. The moment you fully stepped into the room you heard a high pitched whimper. As on edge as you were, you couldn't help but laugh. Loki was lying on the floor a few feet away, practically broken. The Hulk had just subdued him, so all you had to do was make sure he didn’t escape, right? Seeing him in his state you deemed it fit to extinguish the warm flame in your outstretched hand. Loki saw you and looked startled for a moment, then painfully propped himself on his elbows. Rubble rolled off of his now dusty armor, as he moved little dust clouds formed around him.

“So they send the newest addition of the protectors of this inferior rock you call home. You mortals are pathetic.” Loki sat up and brushed you off like an annoying bug. 

“Don’t underestimate me.” You warned. Loki scoffed.

“You don’t frighten me, Midgardian.” The fact that he seemed _bored_ infuriated you. He smirked, playing to his strengths. You clenched your fists, still warm from the flame, till they turned white.

“You really shouldn’t underestimate me, after all, all you can do is party tricks.” You must have hit a nerve because he whipped around and scowled, his injuries not influencing him at all.

“All you mortals together on this _filthy_ Earth don’t have as much power as I do in my smallest finger.” He growled. Consumed with rage, both hands ignited, covering all of your arms. You charged at the demigod. He expected this and dodged swiftly. You ungracefully face-planted in the rubble of Stark’s kitchen. Getting up again, you changed your plan of attack to projectile flames and attempted to scorch him. Key word: attempted. When the smoke cleared you saw he was no longer there. 

_Shit! He escaped!_

But you were proved wrong when you heard a silky voice behind you.

“You mortals make me laugh,” He let out a rich chuckle,” Do you really think a simple metal case can hold my scepter?” You turned and he was pointing the large gold weapon at you. You were immediately swallowed up by a green fog. It was so thick you couldn't see the ground. “Such a shame,” He clicked his tongue, “ _This_ is the new Avenger? How does it feel?” A shadow passed you and the next second you felt a stabbing pain in your side, followed by another, and another. Each stabbed was accompanied by a painful throb in your head. Soon your body felt like a thousand knives were being dragged through your skin. Your body was so weak and your head felt like it was going to explode. 

“Let us see what your biggest fear is. I’d love to see you at your weakest like you are meant to be.”

Suddenly, your vision cleared and you were sitting at a table with the Avengers. The room was filled with conversation and the scent of food.

“Hey (Y/n), mind passing the biscuits?” Stark asked you. You reached over to the bowl hesitantly. 

“Hey, you okay?!” Nat asked. She suddenly pushed away from you as if she was burned. The rest of them were now looking at you weirdly.

“(Y/n), what is the matter?” Thor asked urgently. You then realized you had melted the bowl and the biscuits turned to a charred mess. The next moment, your body was covered in flames and the table caught fire. Backing up, you hit the wall and a curtain lit up and spread.

“Calm down!” Cap yelled. The room was soon engulfed in flames. You watched as the Avengers tried to escape the deadly heat. Your worst nightmares were coming true. Eyes wide, you scrambled out of the room. As you fell out of the door you were surrounded by blinding red fire and dark smoke.

Then you felt a rough, thick substance coating your hands. You looked down through the thick smoke and saw your hands were completely covered in dried, burnt blood. Looking around, as the smoke cleared, you saw hundreds of broken charred bodies. They all seemed to be turned toward you. You clutched your head from the wave of pain that crashed in your skull. Green fog blocked your vision once more. When the pain and fog dispersed you looked up. Once you realized the scenery had changed you looked around the middle of New York and saw the Avengers, their faces permanently burnt in looks of betrayal. You stumbled over to the nearest body, clutching the dead arm of what was once Thor Odinson. Leaning back, you let out a blood-curdling scream.

Another burst of excruciating pain and you were knocked to the ground, falling onto shattered glass and splintered wood. The fog dispersed and you were back at Stark Tower. Flames extinguished and hands no longer covered in others’ blood, only yours. You flipped over only to get a boot to the stomach.

“How unfortunate, you just joined the ragged band of _heroes._ ” He spat the word like poison, “ only to die at the hands of this world’s new leader.” He smiled cruelly and raised his scepter. “You are useless.”

Time stopped. Your head filled with your father’s voice.

“Worthless”

“Ugly”

“Whore”

“Dumb”

“Useless”

_“Useless”_

“ _You are just a useless pile of shit that will never leave this house._ ” You heard his voice clearly in your head. Then everything became clear.

Instantly, like lightning, your body was painless and you were filled to the brim with blinding rage. There was so much hurt and pain and you were tired of it. There was no way Loki would get the best of you. After being under his control, he assumed you would just fall as any other human would. Boy, was he wrong. Screaming like a madwoman, you knocked him to the floor. Your mind was filled with faces of the family you grew to love, black beyond recognition. 

_I am stronger than the power I wield. I will not lose control. Not for me, but for my family._

He seemed so startled that he hesitated, you saw his shield crack. A glimpse of fear and hurt. Surprised to see this, you faltered for a second. There was no way-.

But it mended as quickly as it cracked and Loki was on his feet. He also seemed to stumble for a split- second, his injuries suddenly catching up to him. Taking your chance, you swept at his feet with a bright red flame from your hands. He tried to dodge it, but this time you were ready.

Grabbing a nearby chair, you swung it fiercely and it collided with the green-clad figure. He stumbled and knocked into the marble that stood near the shattered window. You quickly formed a plan in your head as you reached Loki. Just as you were going to reach out to him, he raised his hand to his face and suddenly he changed. He was no longer Loki, but a helpless child. Not any child, but you. 

“Please don’t hurt me! I’m so scared.” The child pleaded, bringing back memories of your abusive father and forgetting the only warning that Cap gave you, you hesitated for a moment, giving Loki his chance to strike. The child version of you changed back into Loki and he lunged at your neck. Grabbing hold tightly, he constricted your airflow and you fell to your knees, grasping at your throat in vain. 

“Yes, _kneel_. At your rightful place, below me Midg-” The demigod was interrupted by your hands igniting again. You scorched his right hand and then while he was distracted you took your chance to fulfill the rest of your hastily formed plan. Finding a grip on his leather armor, you pushed with all your might, through the rest of the already shattered glass onto the balcony. Falling headfirst, Loki was dazed and didn't react. You, on the other hand, kicked his golden scepter off the skyscraper and grabbed a rather large piece of glass and brought it to his neck. Finally, he put his hands up in defense.

“Don’t you ever underestimate the human race.” You threaten before you heard the unmistakable ruckus of the Avengers approaching.~ 

  
  
  


“(Y/n)? Lady (Y/n)!” Thor once again shook you from your thoughts. You had realized that the plastic cup in your hands was melted and crushed. 

“Yeah?Oh shit! Sorry.” You grabbed napkins from the dispenser to clean up the mess you made. You shook your head to rid yourself of the memory. Ever since that day, in your darkest moments, you still thought of everything Loki showed you. His gift was burning the black dead faces of your comrades into your head. But you took comfort in knowing Thor was right in front of you, alive and well. Your close friend looked concerned and opened his mouth to say something, then the waitress came back.

“Would you guys like anything else?” You could vaguely see her stealing glances at you, and you suddenly became suspicious again, before remembering the destroyed cup in your clutches. 

“Sorry about the cup, I’ll include it in the bill.” You then saw her actually look at the cup with confusion. Registering that she hadn’t even noticed the cup, you stiffened. Alex then peeled her eyes away from you to reach into her pocket. You panicked and your hand heated up before she pulled out the check. Thor frowned at the sight of your posture. She finally set the check down on the table and walked away, promising to return. You had no idea why you were getting so worked up. Maybe it was because of all the emotions, but something was just not right about that girl. After taking a deep breath, you took out your wallet to pay but Thor stopped you.

“No, no. I will pay. We must finish this conversation at the Tower.” Such a gentleman, but no matter what he did you knew this discussion was not going to go well for anyone, especially if Loki was involved.

After he paid, you both exited out into the blistering cold of New York. As soon as the door closed behind you the hairs on the back of your neck rose. Turning back, you looked at the receding cafe to see Alex watching you. Something was seriously off with her. You rolled your shoulders back and faced forward once more. Hopefully, you were wrong and she is just a fan.

When you got back to Stark Tower, you tried your damndest to get to your room. Whatever Thor had to say about his wretched brother doesn’t have to include you.

_Hell, I don’t want to be anywhere near the_ subject _of him,_ you huffed. But no matter how fast you walked into the building and elevator, Thor just followed you. Finally, as soon the elevator doors shut the large God turned toward you. He seemed anxious and kept tapping his foot on the soft carpet of the elevator.

“Please, we really need to talk about Loki.” You flinched at the sound of his name. Taking what felt like the hundredth deep breath of the night, you turned to him and clenched your jaw.

“Why in God’s name are you thinking about your brother?” Thor’s response was cut off by the ding of the elevator bell. Clearly uncomfortable with the possibility of someone hearing, Thor took your hand and pulled you down the opposite hallway, towards his room.

“Uhhh. Thor? My room is the other way?” Feeling hesitant, you followed him into the large room given to him to stay after missions. Once you were in the room, Thor seemed to realize he had just brought an unwilling lady into his room and he almost slapped himself. 

“(Y/n), may I ask you a question?” Thor seemed conflicted. Trying to lighten the mood a bit you tried to crack a joke.

“Technically you just did.” Thor raised a blonde eyebrow. “Sure.” You shook your head.

“I have a strong feeling you may protest but I feel you are the only one who may help.” Now it was your turn to raise an eyebrow. This was getting concerning. 

_Loki has been gone for a while, why is he coming up now? And why am I the only one who can help?_ You crossed your arms, waiting for Thor to continue. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“My brother never left for Asgard, Director Fury kept him here. He’s still at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.” Thor rushed out, afraid of your reaction. You stood, shocked, in the middle of Thor’s room.

“Wh-... I don-.” Stuttering, you were at a loss for words. This way too much. Just knowing he is on the same planet as you is frightening. Immediately, a rush of emotions and memories came crashing down. “Loki is here? Like... _here_?!” You practically yelled. Thor fiddled with his hands.

“Well, he is not _here_. He is located at S.H.I-.” He was cut off by you.

“What the _hell_ , Thor? After everything we did, he is still here,” Thoughts of how he messed with your head scared you. Running your hands through your (h/l) (h/c/) hair, frustrated, you snapped back to Thor, “Why are you telling me this?” He deliberately looked anywhere but at you. You were about to slap him.“Thor, what is it?!”

“Well, Fury requested me to ask you if you were willing to help... Loki. You seem to be the only one he listens to.” He put his hands out to emphasize his point. Your (e/c) eyes widened and you froze. Help Loki? Was he insane?

“No. No way. Huh-uh. Hell no. I’m not going anywhere near him. Never. Nope. Sorry, you will have to do it yourse-” You were interrupted by a buzz of your phone. 

_Oh great, now what?_ You picked it up and frowned.  
  
~ Report time Tuesday is at 6:00 am sharp.

For a moment, you stared at the bright screen in confusion. With all this commotion inside your head, it didn’t register, till you realized who sent the message. It was Dr. Helen. Completely forgetting about the subject at hand, you huffed and sat heavily on the nearest soft thing. 

_Evaluations are Tuesday._ Your chest suddenly tightened.

Evaluations were a series of tests S.H.I.E.L.D performed to see how your 'talent' has evolved. Besides the long and rigorous tests they put you through, the only reason that Evaluations were one of the single most terrifying things. Depending on if you pass or fail, your freedom was at stake. If your ability is too out of control or if you failed to use it correctly they would separate you from the team and the rest of the world to lock you up in quarantine. Your thoughts suddenly shifted to Loki and the conversation you were having before the message. With the two worst scenarios playing out in your head you couldn’t help but think of the vision he forced you to see. 

_Could that have been the future? Or was it just a trick he was playing?_ Your head raced with so many thoughts.

You jumped when Thor placed his hand tentatively on your shoulder. Taking a moment to compose yourself, you looked up to lock eyes with your friend. Evaluations were two days from now. You didn't have to think about that right now, you had more urgent things to deal with at the moment. He seemed so hopeful that it broke your heart to tell him the truth.

“Look, Thor, I’m sorry but I can’t... I-...I can’t.” You shook your head. Pushing yourself off the bed, he let go of your shoulder sadly. 

“I understand.” Honestly believing you. He knows how Loki can be and how he impacts other people. A wave of guilt washed over you as you cast your gaze downward. 

_I wouldn’t be able to help him anyway._ You told yourself as you turned and walked out. You thought of what Thor said about him only responding to you.

_Right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise more Loki in the next one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor finally recruits Reader to help, but how will things go down when she meets Loki face-to-face?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I suck at writing Thor so just bear with me.

You were rudely woken up by Stark barging into your room.

“Ah (Y/n), you’re awake.” He smiled and ripped the covers off. Suddenly very cold without the blankets, you reached for the blankets but he just pulled them a little farther so you would actually have to move to reach them. You sighed and laid back down, heating your body with your power but not enough to singe the silk. He smirked at the change in temperature, knowing what you were up to. In retaliation, he started telling J.A.R.V.I.S to put the AC on full blast. Half asleep, you hear the A.I inform Stark that it was the middle of winter, but Stark just brushed it off. You laughed weakly, but it was cut short when you felt a strong blast of freezing cold air directed right at you.

“Hey!” You sat up and pulled the covers back on the bed. Just as you were about to yell at the annoying billionaire, your phone buzzed on your nightstand.  _ Who the fu-. _

Your eyes bugged out of your head when you saw who it was from. Director Fury’s I.D (Eyepatch) flashed on the bright screen.

~Has Thor informed you about Loki yet? 

All grogginess gone, you shot up. Can’t a girl get some peace? 

“AGHHH” You yelled in frustration.

“I'm sorry, is it shark week?” Stark slowly backed away. You laughed weakly and shook your head. 

“Just get the big oaf over here.” You pinched the bridge of your nose. Stark shrugged and called Thor. He thundered over and you looked at him with a mix of annoyance and anger and he seemed to understand. He looked like he was going to step in the room but thought against it.

“May I have a word with the lady?” Thor asked. Stark looked suspicious and cocked an eyebrow. Thor gently pushed him out. He exited, leaving you and Thor alone. The god seemed increasingly nervous.

“What the hell, Thor? I told you no! I refuse to go anywhere near that psychopath.” You crossed your arms. Thor didn’t respond, only shuffling around and trying his damnedest to look anywhere else but at you. 

“What now?” You groaned. 

“You are… indecent. It is wrong to enter a lady’s chambers when she is only her pajamas,” Thor had his head turned away. You looked down and saw you had a tank top and shorts on. You held back a laugh. “ My apologies, we will speak when you are proper.” He went to open the door when you couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Thor, it’s fine,” Your anger was replaced with pure amusement, “ Here I'll pull the blanket up.” You pulled the comforter all the way up to your chin and burst into a fit of laughter. Thor tried to stop but you could see the corners of his lips twitch. He still seemed uncomfortable, but he stayed. After your laughter died down, and a beat of awkward silence, you resumed the topic at hand.. 

“Thor, I'm sorry but I can’t go near him again, not after what happened.” 

“I understand. I just hoped you would be able to help Loki find his way and return to Asgard.” He seemed so dejected, you felt a pang of guilt. You patted the empty space beside you and he sat down unsure, you nodded signaling it was okay. “He has hurt so many people, including his own family.” You remembered how heartbroken Thor was when Frigga died. How you sat and hugged him for hours. Suddenly, you felt selfish and stupid. Even after what he did, Thor has done way more than enough to deserve your help. You can get over your silly fear of him for Thor.

Making up your mind, you turned to your god-like friend.

“I’ll do it.”

As soon as Thor left, you let out a long sigh. You responded to Director Fury and hopped out of bed over to your large closet and dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt with the words ‘I (heart) New York’. You made your way to the bathroom and, after completing your morning routine, tied your (h/l) (h/c) hair into a quick ponytail to walk down the hall to knock on Thor’s door. 

“Thor are you re-.” The door swung open. He was in a plain grey tee with jeans. He had another Pop-Tart in his mouth. You never understood his fascination with the sugar-coated breakfast treat. He finished his Poptart and wiped his hands on his shirt. His hand momentarily stretching the already thin shirt farther and you couldn't help but glance down and smirk.  _ Damn... _

“Now we must find a way to exit the building before the team notices.” Thor tapped his finger in his chin.

“What do you mean?” You asked, confused.

“I don't want to explain to the others that Loki is still here after everything that happened.”

“Ahhh.” You nodded. 

“I know. The elevator!” He smiled and led the way out of the Tower.

ও

You let out a small breath of relief when you spotted Director Fury smiling as he approached. After getting his text you had no idea if you were needed to stop a hostage situation or not. With Fury, you never know. 

“I’m glad you decided to help, Agent (Y/n).” Glancing around the newly built HQ, you marveled at all the new technology and the sheer size of the place.  _ I thought this organization is supposed to be secret.  _ You smirked.

“I’m glad to be able to help.” You responded with a smile. While you admired the architecture, you were greeted by some familiar faces and you waved happily. Thor seemed to be surprised by how friendly you were with the other agents. You could read him like a book. It was quite amusing actually. Peeking over your shoulder you addressed his unspoken question. 

“Because of my background, I have spent a  _ lot  _ of my time with the agents. They just ended up making me an honorary S.H.I.E.L.D agent.” Thor raised an eyebrow as if impressed. You just rolled your eyes but smiled nonetheless. You were suddenly pulled back to the task at hand.

“Loki has been locked in a cage made of Asgardian materials and very advanced technology so you have nothing to worry about.” Fury assured you. You scoffed, unbelieving. 

You passed several other agents and they all eyed you nervously. You couldn’t blame them, every time the Avengers come to HQ there is always a crisis and then a lot of damage control. Following Fury, you found yourself at the base of a huge metal door. 

“Is this where Loki is held?” You were getting increasingly nervous. The lighthearted atmosphere, forgotten.

“Oh, no. This is just the door to the steps.” Fury smiled and used his one good eye to bypass the security. You heard several locks click and the door groaned open. You peered behind the massive door, only to find steps leading down as Fury said. 

After three flights of stairs and two more security doors, each larger and thicker than the last, you arrived at another door that was flanked by several agents with large guns much like the one Agent Coulson shot Loki with. This time the door was red with a caution sign in the middle. Next to it was what looked like a metal desk, which held another agent and a computer. You could see an additional gun beside him. 

“They’re called Destroyers. The guns, I mean. They seem to be the only thing that does any damage to him,” You cringed. “Mainly for decoration though.” Fury chuckled. He showed his identification to the man at the desk and signaled that you and Thor were with him. The man nodded and pressed several buttons then inserted a key and turned it before the door opened. You felt vaguely nauseous. 

Thor stepped through first then you followed. You looked up to find Loki simply reading in the corner of his large white cell. You knew that you were going to see him, but the actual sight of the God of Mischief threw you off. You jumped when the door closed.

“What do I owe the pleasure of seeing the _King of Asgard_?” He hadn’t even looked up but the title was uttered with such deep loathing that a shiver went up your spine. But his hostility changed the moment he saw you.

“My,  _ my. _ What do we have here?” Loki Laufeyson closed his book and sat up. The next moment later he was at the edge of the cell, getting as close as he possibly could to the orange film holding him. The soldiers all aimed their guns at him. Loki’s eyes scanned you. His smile was terrifying, like a predator who had found the perfect prey. 

“Loki, you will not harm her. She is here to help you change your mind and finally come back home.” Thor swiftly stepped in front of you. Loki growled.

“It was quite unwise of you to bring the one you fancy to me.” Your eyes widened. Even Thor seemed surprised.

“I’m afraid you are mistaken, brother. She is just a friend.” Loki smirked and you could swear his eyes darkened.

“Then you wouldn’t mind if she came in here with me.” Your nerves spiked and your heart pace quickened.

“Absolutely not.” Thor’s firm response was almost instant.

“Then I refuse to listen.” Loki's whole demeanor suddenly changed. He seemed bored almost as he simply strode across the cell, picked up his book, and resumed reading. Thor sighed and turned to face you.

“I'm sorry, it seems he is too stubborn to cooperate. I should have known this was going to happen. We can try another time.” Thor started to walk toward the exit. Thor seemed so angry, either at himself for bringing you or at his brother for being so difficult, you couldn't tell. Suddenly you realized your position. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place. You either leave and Loki continues to hurt people even in captivity, or you go in a locked cage with the murderous psychopath that tried to take over the world. Oh, and he killed 80 people in 2 days. You took a deep breath to calm your nerves, then you felt someone watching you. Snapping your head up, you saw Loki staring at you over his book. A chill went up your spine and you shivered. Turning around, you could practically feel Loki’s smirk. Closing your eyes, you decided a choice that would change your life forever.

“Thor, wait.”

ও

“Absolutely not!” Thor thundered. You and Thor were arguing just outside of the massive steel door that led to the room with Loki.

“It is the only way to get him to at least listen.” You couldn’t believe what you were saying.

“ (Y/n), I don't trust him. You won't be safe.” Thor frowned.

“I beat him once. If it comes down to it, I can do it again.” He still seemed hesitant. You touched his arm and smiled, ”I know you’ll be there too. So no worries.” Thor finally cracked and smiled. He shook his head. 

“Alright, but he will face severe consequences if he so much as touches you.” Thor suddenly turned dark. You couldn’t help but think of what Loki said earlier. 

“O-Of course.” The two of you both reentered the room and Thor’s jaw tensed. Loki was still smirking.

“Have you come to beg for forgiveness?” Loki mused. You took a deep breath. There was no way you were going to let him beat you. You had to stay strong for Thor and everyone who wants Loki back home.

“Actually, we've come to compromise.” You straightened up and stared Loki down. You refused to lose. Thor raised an eyebrow.

“I will go in there,” Loki’s smirk turned into a sinister smile and it made you internally shudder, “ _ Only _ if you wear these.” You held up a pair of magic binding cuffs. His smile vanished and it was replaced with a deep scowl. It was your turn to smirk now. You could see him debating in his head. After a few moments of silence, you were afraid he wouldn't answer at all until he locked his dark green eyes with yours.

“Agreed.”

“Good. Thor?” You turned to the other god and he, although begrudgingly, nodded and stepped back.

“Where were these cuffs when we were trying to get him in here.” A soldier grumbled as he approached you and held out his palm. You handed the cuffs the soldier and Fury nodded to let him in. All the men in the room turned their guns to the entrance of the cage. Loki raised his hands and backed to the far wall. Another soldier pressed a button and a small part of the film turned into a liquidity state. He walked through, approached Loki and quickly snapped on the cuffs. Never turning his back, the soldier walked back through the field and gestured for you. You hesitantly stuck your hand through the liquid door then pushed the rest of your body through and it solidified back into its web-like state behind you. 

He stared at you for a while, eyes never leaving. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. After a beat, you decided to “break the ice”.

“Sooooooo, the weather huh? It's crazy.” You tried to joke but Loki didn't budge. Well, that was dumb. You sighed.

“Look, I'm really trying to talk to you. You agreed to talk if I came in here.” He remained silent and staring. Now you were getting annoyed. You sparked a flame in your hand, threatening. He smirked.

“ _ There _ it is. That marvelous power of yours.” You frowned, what the hell was wrong with him and why was he suddenly interested in your power? You were beginning to worry. What is he going to do? You pulled chairs over from the side, one for you and him, and sat down. You made sure to keep your distance. Tired of his antics like everyone else, you just decided that you would talk and he would listen.

“If you don’t want to talk, I will. I came here today to figure out a way to help you, a kind of rehabilitation. So you know, you won't hurt anyone anymore. Your brother ask-” 

“He is NOT my brother.” Loki growled. 

“Ok, well he asked me to help w-” You were cut off once more by an angry Loki.

“Did you bring her here to try and mend me? Well, you are mistaken  _ brother,  _ I am a monster and there is no changing that.” He was now at the edge of the cage. The soldiers all aimed their guns at the cage, and you. Thor swiftly acted. 

“Lower your weapons! Do not hurt (Y/n)!” He yelled.

"Please calm down. I understand what you are going through-" You tried to calm Loki.    
  
"You have no  _ IDEA _ !" He whipped around and yelled, the cuffs glowed with energy from his anger. "You were not lied to your entire life, thinking that you were meant for greatness. Then one day it all comes crashing down!" You suddenly stood up, which surprised him.   
  
"As a matter of fact I do, I know exactly how you feel," You yelled back, flames fueled by rage engulfing your entire body, “I was led to believe that I was loved by my parents, but when I started to become a burden, my mother left and my drunken father beat me half to death! And when the child support stopped coming I was sold to S.H.I.E.L.D for experiments! That's how I got these powers in the first place. That's why I'm here, trying to help you get your shit together!" You stepped forward, as he sunk back. "So don't tell me I don't know how you feel, I was in your shoes once!” 

Realizing the situation and what you just said, you gasped. You had never told that to anyone but Thor, ever. Loki was speechless and he just stood there. At this point the flames distinguished, and you backed up slowly and signaled to open the cage. You exited the web of magic and the last thing you saw before turning was Loki’s startled face. You ran till you hit the last door. When you finally realized the door was going to stay tightly shut and you couldn't do anything, you just slid down the cold metal wall.

That was the first time you ever opened up to someone. This whole ordeal with Loki has completely flipped your whole world upside-down. First, Thor suddenly tells you that the man you all fought so hard to beat is still in Manhattan. Then you end up telling your whole  _ goddamn  _ life story to a room full of strangers as well as the man you still have had nightmares about. Then you decide to turn around and barge out like a child throwing a tantrum. You sat, head in your hands, till you heard Thor’s thundering footsteps. 

“(Y/n)! Are you alright?” Thor bends down to you and placed a large hand on your shoulder. After taking a few deep breaths, you looked up at him. His whole face was twisted with worry. Seeing him brought you back down to Earth again. 

“I...I’m fine now. Thank you.” You stood up and gazed at the steps. What the hell was wrong with you? Why are you all of a sudden acting like a schoolgirl? After a moment of resolve, you decided.

“I'm going back down.” 

“Are you positive? We can leave if you want-" Thor tried to comfort you. You started it, might as well finish it.

“No, let's just get this over with.” You looked at him and he had no choice but to comply so you both started the trek back down to Loki’s holding cell. 

The moment you stepped in, you noticed the atmosphere was different. You were no longer afraid, determination filled its place. You looked at the cage which held Loki and stepped right in.

“Let's get down to business.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To defeat *dun dun* THE HUNS!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you put a stubborn hot head person with a cool calm one?

It's been a week since you have decided to come regularly to talk and persuade Loki to change his ways. 

“Are you sure you want to continue doing this? It is very noble but I don't want you to hurt yourself for my cause.” Thor asked for the tenth time. You found it endearing but you were really set on helping him. 

“Thanks, but as I told you, I'm going through with this no matter what.” You smiled up at him and he leaned back, blushing. 

“Thank you.” He replied simply. You once again steeled yourself for anything he could say and walked through the heavy metal door. At first, he loved to try and torment you, but it didn't faze you at all. Now he is just stubborn and uncooperative.

“Another day to plague me with your presence.” Loki sneered. Now accustomed to the strange sensation of the Asgardian cell, you slipped through effortlessly. You just smiled and pulled the same two chairs to the middle of the room, one for you and one for him. It has now become routine. 

“Deal with it.” You snapped back.

~Three Weeks~

“Get off your ass and help me with this.” You hoisted a desk into the cage and scolded him. Thor no longer came with you after you told him you didn't need a babysitter, so you were left alone to move the big oak desk. Loki twitched with irritation and grabbed the desk, lifting it with ease, and roughly set it in the middle of the room. Thinking his cage can use a little more furniture, you brought this desk you weren't using from your apartment. Now you can have conversations at a real table.

“If you choose to be in the presence of royalty, then at least pick finer attire. You look like a peasant's harlot.” You just laughed, used to his insults by now. So much for the attempted gift of peace, you sighed.

~One Month~

Now, every time you come, the chairs and desk are already set up and Loki is reading in his cuffs, waiting. He is no longer making snarky or rude remarks. He just sits and listens and you can't help but compare him to an angsty teen. 

“Listen to me ya big baby. You are gonna have to talk to me sometime.” He simply looked at you sideways and flipped a page. Anticipating this, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a deck of cards, brand new. This caught Loki’s attention, just as you planned. 

“What is that?” Loki inquired. You just side-eyed him, mockingly, and opened the deck to shuffle at set out on a game of Solitaire. 

“You're not talking and I'm bored.” You smirked as he scowled and pretended not to watch in fascination. 

~Six Months~

You entered the pristine white cell for the day, prepped with questions to ask him. You thought that maybe since it has been quite a while since you started visiting, he might open up about a few things. You knew very little about The God of Mischief himself, only what other people have told you and what you have experienced yourself in battle. He is regarded as one of the most dangerous men the world has ever seen and you know from the time fighting him, the title suits him. But, you can’t help but think that there is a side to him no one knows, and you are determined to find it.

“I hope that you do not plan to interrogate me today, I would rather not. I’m not in the mood.” Loki being the little shit he is, he doesn’t even look up from his bed. Instead of his normal reading, he is simply laying on his bed, his hands tucked behind his head. You laugh because of course, he knew exactly what you were thinking. 

“What do you mean, I’m just here as I always am, waiting for you to open up.” Loki scoffs and sits up. 

“Then tell me, why do you have a piece of parchment with questions on it?” You mentally facepalm. You were trying to be subtle, so much for that. 

“Well, you got me,” You put your hands in the air in mock surrender as you sat in the familiar oak chair, “I  _ was _ going to interrogate you.” Loki smirked, thinking he foiled your plan. He went to lay back down but you interjected. “But now, I’m just going to ask you a favor.” He stopped and turned to you once more.

“Now why would I help you?” He asked mischievously as he leaned back against the wall. He could sense a deal starting to form. But now you were stuck. You realized that if you were going to get any info from him, you would have to give something in return. 

“Well, for starters, you are stuck in a cage and I am the only thing keeping you from going back to Asgard,” Loki twitched at the mention of his old home. 

"I sincerely doubt they would allow a Midgaurdian decide my fate." He scoffed and proceeded to ignore you once more. He was right in that aspect. Odin probably has no idea who you even are. Then, you thought of another approach. 

"You may be right, but I am still the only person who can get you more books.” This definitely caught his attention and he leaned forward.

_ Two can play this game.  _ You smiled and leaned back to mimic his laid back posture from before. He noticed your jest at him and sneered. He seemed to think about it for a moment before he decided on an answer.

“You get one question per book. I do not wish to chatter all night. Also,” He smirked, “ I would ask wisely if I were you, for I do think it would be rather difficult carrying too many books down all those stairs.” You laughed at his hostility, after 5 months you had gotten quite used to it. He never seemed too hostile though, all of his remarks being sass or insults. Honestly, you just think that’s the way he’s always been. After taking the time to think about it, you realized how sad that must make him. Always putting up a line of insults as a defense. Loki’s sharp voice pulled you from your thoughts. 

“Well, is it a deal or not?” He asks impatiently. He must really be desperate for new reading material, maybe you would give him a People’s magazine. You quietly chuckled to yourself at the thought of dark and mysterious Loki getting hooked on a gossip magazine. Loki scowed again.

“How will I know if you are telling the truth? You  _ are  _ famous for your tricks.” He smirked dangerously.

“Although I am a notoriously good liar, I give you my word on my honor that I will answer truthfully.” He nodded. Even though you knew he could still be lying, something about him told you he was being completely honest. 

“Deal.”

~Ten Months~

“I see you finished the latest book I got you.” You looked at the old roman poems he already read. “I can get you more modern books you know." You told him as you set down 2 more books about greek plays. He simply rolled his eyes with a smirk and traded the books I had brought to him before. This question-per-book deal has been working out quite well. You had learned a lot over the past few months, mostly things the Council wants to know like what kind of army he had and if there were any more. He answered truthfully as he promised, and you supplied him with an endless stream of reading material.

“I'll have you know that your ancient writers are vehemently more interesting than your modern ones.” Loki scoffed. You burst out laughing at his passion for greek plays and you saw him look down and chuckle, his face cracking into a genuine smile. Your laughter eventually died down but you and him both still had smiles. No longer was there any trace of his early on hostility and it made you so happy to see his progress. Loki then turned to you. “Now, what information are you going to pry out of me today?” He smiled. You also noticed that he had gotten much more comfortable with you during your time together, almost like he was no longer putting up his barrier of insults. 

“Actually, no questions today. I am not really in the mood to argue with you." You just wanted today to be as peaceful as possible. You longed for those few and far between days where you and Loki simply just enjoyed one another's company. You could hear Loki shift in curiosity. 

"And why, pray tell, would that be?" You just laughed and shook your head. No use explaining to him, not like he would care anyway.

"No reason, I just think it would be nice to sit here and not have to worry about the world for a little while." You smiled softly. Loki did not press the issue and you were quite surprised he didn't, but happy nonetheless. 

The minutes ticked by peacefully. Loki reading in his usual corner, you occupying the time with one of your hobbies. It was nice, the silence and the mutual understanding of each other’s wishes. 

The time with Loki neared its end and you began gathering your things and getting ready to leave. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Loki stop focusing on the book he was reading and instead he was in deep thought for a moment. To your surprise, Loki sits up. All of a sudden, he strides up to a small end table and grabs an old worn book. He then hands it to you with both cuffed hands. 

“Happy birthday, Midgardian.” He grumbles. Taken aback, you examine the present and immediately recognize it as Loki’s favorite book, The Complete Collection of William Shakespeare. You then had a weird, but pleasant, feeling in your chest.

“T-thank you.” You hurry out the cell and hold tightly to the gift. Loki already knew about your birthday, you realized, which is why he didn't protest your unusual request. You smiled widely as you climbed the steps. It would seem that you were  _ almost _ friends.

  
  


~One Year~

“Cool Ranch is soooooo much better than Spicy Nacho!” You yelled. This one particular visit you were curious as to how Loki would react to different kinds of Doritos, for an experiment obviously. 

“Your Midgardian taste is off, you should see a nurse, Spicy Nacho is far better,” Loki argued. After a beat of silence, you looked at each other and laughed. Things have gotten a lot more lighthearted recently, maybe it was just the fact that you had been visiting him for so long.

You closed up the family-sized bag of Spicy Nacho, it certainly was not your favorite, and wiped your hands. You reached out for the other bag when Loki’s face suddenly turned very devious.

“No, whatever you are thi- LOKI NO!” You couldn't stop him before he tipped the rest of your favorite Doritos into his smiling mouth. You huffed. “You knew those were my favorite! And how did you eat them all?!” You shook your head in disbelief as Loki just leaned back in his chair and smirked like the devil he was. “That's the last time I bring you any food.” You grumbled as you snatched the empty blue bag from him and hid his favorite chips in your bag. His smile dropped at your comment.

“Oh come now, it would be cruel to not allow me any more of your treats after you so kindly brought me some.” Loki argued. You looked at him again, your irritation melting away at the sight of him. “I do love when you bring me gifts.” His voice made a shiver crawl up your spine. 

“Well…” You tried to think of a decent remark to throw back at him. “I'm sure Asgard has many amazing foods I haven’t tried, so we are equal.” You responded curtly as you slung your bag over the back of the oak chair, out of Loki’s reach. When you looked back up, Loki was no longer in a playful mood. It seems the mention of his old home brought back unwanted memories. 

“O-Oh, I'm sorry.” You shook your head in an apology. “I… I shouldn’t have brought that up.” You sighed. Loki has yet to speak anything about Asgard at all. Suddenly, you were afraid he might close up on you again. You began to panic. After all this time what if he decides to just shut you out again? What if you have to start all over again?

Suddenly, his voice dragged you from your thoughts.

“No, no.” He paused, “Trust me when I tell you that Asgard is not as incredible as you Midgaurdians think it is.” He was turned away from you. There was such sadness in his voice, it made your heart twinge. 

Not even thinking about your words, you asked Loki, 

“What happened to you?” 

Loki lifted his head to peer at you. There was no trace of mockery in your voice, and he only saw genuine curiosity in your eyes. At the sight of you, he sighed and smiled. Of course you would be the only one who cared for him, after all he has done to you.

You frowned at his sudden change in behavior, maybe he was just messing with you. But before you could scold him, he spoke. 

“I am not the son of Odin, nor am I Asgardian at all.” You were shocked at his words. “I was taken as a child from Jotunheim and raised by Odin,” He sneered, “Groomed for a throne I could never have.” You were listening intently, and he gave a soft chuckle at your expression before he continued. “I am a Frost Giant, and when I discovered this, I was furious.” He went on about how he came to terms with his truth, and how Odin reacted. You learned a lot about Loki as he talked, most notably his hate for his supposed ‘father’. It's not an excuse for the things he has done, but you couldn't help but feel sorry for him. 

He really wasn’t exaggerating when he said he was lied to his whole life. But you were still curious, what about his mom?

“What about your mom? She must have also known?” You asked. Loki snapped his head at you, ready to strike. You gasped and jumped back. 

“My mother was nothing but loving to me.” He looked at you again, and you realized he was waiting for you to insult him. You relaxed and your gaze softened. You could see how much he cared for his mother. Loki continued to look for any sign of hostility, prepared to defend his mother and his honor. He looked at you warily and paused. You nodded slightly for him to continue, completely mesmerized by his words. 

“I-,” He stopped unsure if he could trust you, that you might use the information against him. You huffed and waved your hand in impatience,

“Oh come on! You can’t just stop there!” You giggled at his bewildered expression. You truly were a marvel to him. He shook his head lightly.

“I was a very different child growing up. Always reading or learning while others my age were preparing for battles.” He leaned back, finally relaxing. “My mother knew I had no desire to participate in their brutish games, so she taught me a different way of fighting, magic.” You could see his eyes glow at the mention of his passion. His mouth hinted at a smile and you listened raptly. “I studied and practiced and learned the art, it became my refuge. Away from all the frivolous traditions that Asgard was so fond of. Till Odin decided it was time for me to become a ‘real warrior’.” His lip curled at the mention of the Allfather, and you couldn’t help but frown slightly as well. “My mother also knew I had no luck with swords.” He chuckled darkly, “But it turns out I am much more handy with daggers.” You knew quite well how ‘handy’ he was with the small knives, you saw first hand how deadly they could be. “She vowed to make me no less useful on the battlefield than anyone else, no matter what.” He smiled softly, reminiscing. “She was a fierce and loving mother. Always knew just the right thing to say.” 

You gazed at Loki, curious. How lonely his childhood must have been. No one who understands his thoughts. Always seeking that place of comfort. You were hit with the cold realization that you were no different. But then you thought, he had his mother as a light, a light to guide him through his troubles. She showed him the way and made sure he was the best he could be. 

“Your mother was  _ amazing _ !” You burst out. Loki jerked at your sudden inclusion in the conversation. “I mean, she taught you magic and how to fight your own way so that you could still be comfortable,” You rushed out excitedly. “She must have been absolutely fantastic!” 

Loki silent for a moment and you thought you had gone too far. Then, he just looked at you and grinned. You realized you were halfway off your chair and you sat down embarrassed. He was looking at you so intently, you felt your face heat up.. 

“In some way, mortal, you remind me of her.” He said softly, and your heart jumped. 

“Th-thanks.” Loki simply laughed. You rolled your eyes and sat up straight. He then looked up like he was trying to remember something. 

“Ah,” His eyes brightened, “I recall a time when mother caught me in one of my plans.” 

“Plans?” 

“Oh, I assume you would call them ‘pranks’ here.” Loki grinned. You raised an eyebrow.

“I was practicing illusions, and I decided the best way to learn would be to try it on Thor.” 

“Thor?!” You gasped. Loki rolled his eyes and leaned back. 

“Yes, Thor.” You were confused, but paid attention nonetheless. “We had just come back from a trip to Urdarbrunn, the well in the center of Asgard. Anything that touches the water turns white. So, practicing illusion magic, I made the oaf think he had turned completely white, hair and all.” Loki began to laugh, “I tricked him for almost 2 weeks before mother caught me. He was terrified!” You were shocked, 2 weeks! Loki didn’t give you time to process before he continued, “I even convinced him that the only way he could turn back was to show his blood was still red, and then I stabbed him.” At this, you couldn’t help but burst into a fit of giggles. 

“Y-You’re joking!” You hunched over. Loki was now overcome with laughter and you couldn't help but join him. After a solid 5 minutes of this, you both finally calmed down. You wiped a tear from your eye before you realized you needed to make due on your deal. 

“Well then, what kind of books would you like for the questions?” You smiled, still thinking about Loki’s story. He looked down in thought. Slowly nodding his head he responded,

“Bring back more of those Spicy Nacho chips and we will call your debt paid.”

~One Year and Six Months~

You walked in that massive metal door for the thousandth time. There was always a rotation of three soldiers who patted you down for any weapons you might have. For some reason, there was a new soldier there that you didn't know. This time, he was a little  _ too  _ handsy. 

“Hey,” You smacked his hand, “watch where you put those hands of yours!” The next moment, you heard something which resembled a growl. Your imagination? 

“Mornin’ Icicle,” You strolled in the cage where Loki was just reading, as usual, “ Got a surprise for you.” He perked up at this.

“Well, tell me then, Mortal.” He looked at you.

“I got permission from above to take the cuffs off.” Loki quirked his eyebrow. With the amount of progress he was making, you made the case and argument that he was not going to progress any further unless he was to see that you could trust him, and take off the magic binding cuffs. Although almost the entire board was against it, you ended up changing their minds and got the key.

He stuck out his hands as you took out an intricate silver key. As soon as the key neared the cuffs, a small opening appeared. You inserted the key and turned it till you heard a soft click. It unlocked and you slipped the cuffs off, Loki rubbed his sore wrists. You frowned, don't they take the cuffs off as soon as you leave? Why are his wrists raw? Getting back on track, you looked up at him and pointed a finger straight in his face.

“If you try anything suspicious, I _will_ roast you." A small flame appeared on your pointer finger. He laughed. Your heart skipped a beat.  
  
"Well if we are showing off magic." He held out his hand. You had never seen his magic since the Battle of New York, so you tensed before you saw what he created. In his outstretched palm was a large snowflake that seemed to float over his hand. 

  
"Wow Loki, it's beautiful!" It landed in your hand. "Oh, it's not melting."   
  
"That's the power of magic, Phoenix," Loki smirked. That's the nickname he gave you after your episode the first time you visited. That was over a year ago, you thought in disbelief.  
  
"I told you to stop calling me that... Elsa." You bent over laughing at the nickname you gave him.   
  
"Well, that's a new one." Loki just rolled his eyes, but you could still see a bit of playfulness in them. It's funny, you never noticed his eyes until the past few months. They were beautiful.

  
You couldn't help but think, were you starting to  _ like _ the God of Mischief?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are finally settling down, till a wrench is thrown in. How will Reader react to the news? And how will Loki?
> 
> dun dun DUN!

“I’m just saying that if a zombie apocalypse were to happen, I would by far be the most capable of survival.” You shrugged as the rest of the Avengers argued.

“Not true!”

“Well, she  _ can _ control fire.” 

“Scientifically, I can turn into a huge green monster.” 

Then, Thor walked in. You turned to him and gestured him to come sit with you. He shook his head and waved you over instead. You frowned but followed anyway. Too busy arguing, the team didn't notice your absence. After a bit of silence and walking, he brought you to his room and stepped inside. It was making you nervous.

“Thor, what's up?” You asked. He turned to you with a happy expression on his face. 

“I contacted the Allfather, and he agreed to bring Loki back home for a proper trial.” Thor smiled. Surprised, you stepped back. He would be going back? That would mean you would probably never see Loki again. Your breath caught in your chest and you took a step back. “(Y/n), are you alright?” Thor frowned. You nodded half-heartedly to snap yourself out of it. Of course he would go back, it was the whole reason you worked with him in the first place! You looked at Thor and plastered a fake smile on. 

“That’s great!” You slowly inched towards the door. “I’ll just go and um… celebrate… in my room.” It was getting harder to hold back your tears. You whipped around and speed-walked out of Thor's room. But before you could make it out, your foot collided with a large, heavy, metal object. You screamed and clutched your foot, falling straight into Thor's arms. You looked to see what you ran into and looked at Thor. 

“WHAT THE FU- WHY THE HELL IS YOUR HAMMER ON THE FLOOR?” Through the pain you heard footsteps running towards you.  
  
"(Y/n) are you oka-" Stark, Pepper, and Steve arrived at the door, shortly before Natasha and Clint did. Stark and Natasha looked furious. Previous events forgotten, you blushed, despite the throbbing pain emitting from your left foot, realizing you were in Thor's arms.  
  
"PUT HER DOWN!" They yelled simultaneously. The second after, Thor let go and dropped you on the floor.  
  
"AHHHHGGG!" You screamed again. You were met by a concerned Natasha.  
  
"Are you alright?!" Her first action was to touch your foot. You sucked air through clenched teeth. "I think it may be broken, we need to take her to the hospital." Natasha said and stood up.  
  
"I-It's not that bad." You said and tried to stand, but failed horribly.   
  
"Did my out not just hear what I said?! It's broken, don't make it worse." You just sighed and laid back down. Thor made a motion to carry you, but Natasha quickly stopped him. "No, Steve you carry her. I don't want you dropping her again and breaking anything else."   
  
"I'm pretty heavy, maybe you sho- Woah." You tried to protest, but Steve picked you up with ease.   
  
After Steve brought you to Stark's private medical facility and had an x-ray done. You found out that you had fractured your ankle and broke 3 toes. And after 6 hours, you were asked which color would you like your cast. You subconsciously choose green. 

After some paperwork and the doctor double checked everything, you were free to go. You decided you needed to get used to the crutches so you walked to your room by yourself. Since it was 7 in the morning, and you had a long night, you decided to catch up on some sleep.  
  
You had slept peacefully, till you were awoken by J.A.R.V.I.S.  
  
"Ma'am I'm afraid Mr. Stark has insisted on seeing you." He said in his human-like voice.   
  
"Well, try to keep him out please." You rolled over knowing Stark would come in anyway.   
  
"Dibs on signing her cast first!" Stark declared as he and Natasha barged into your room. Well, there goes your peace and quiet.  
  
"You aren't her best friend, she'll definitely let me sign it first." Natasha argued.  
  
"It was my fault so I shall be the one to do the 'signing of the cast' ritual first." Thor stood in the doorway. The three combined completely wake you up.  
  
"Ugh, why am I still here?" You groaned into your pillow. Stark smiled and ripped the covers off.  
  
“I hate when you do that." You whined as you sat up to pull the covers back. Simultaneously, you received a text from Director Fury.   
  
~ Make sure you are here when Loki is transferred.  
  
You just forced a smile. He seemed to understand.  
  
"May we speak alone?" Thor asked. Stark looked suspicious and Nat just cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"But I didn't get to sign her cast yet!" Stark turned around as Thor gently pushed them out. They ended up exiting anyway, leaving you and Thor alone.   
  
"When is he leaving?" He did not respond, only shuffling around. You sighed.

“Thor, you can come in.” He exhaled and stepped into your room. Your foot was starting to throb painfully.  
  
“He will be leaving today.” You nodded and tried to hide your surprise.

“S-So soon? Cool.” It was awkward for a bit, till you told him you needed to change. You laughed as he tried to subtly dash out of your room.   


As soon as Thor left, you let out a long sigh. You hopped over to your closet and opened the glass case with your 'suit' in it. The bulletproof vest was white and the leather leggings were black. You had a coat that fanned out like a cape with a hood and sleeves, which was dark red. The shoes were black combat boots. All made of fireproof material, courtesy of Stark. You noticed that it had been adjusted. It was significantly smaller and the bottoms were short-shorts instead of the usual leggings. 

"Stark, I'm going to kill you." You said to no one in particular. After wiggling your suit on - increasingly difficult with a freshly fractured ankle which you shouldn't even be walking on- and sliding into only one of the boots, you hobbled down the hall to knock on Thor's door.

"Thor I'm going down to talk to him. Are you coming?” Thor opened the door, already in his Asgardian armor. It seems you both thought the same thing, Loki might put up a fight. His eyes widened suddenly as he took in your appearance. 

“Y-Your suit has been altered I see.” He stammered. You nodded, annoyed.

“Yeah, it must have been Stark. When we come back I'm going to strangle him till he changes it back.” Thor simply nodded and you laughed awkwardly as he strode in front of you to lead the way.

The air was thick with tension as you and Thor walked in. As far as you knew, Thor and Loki hadn't seen each other for over a year. 

“Look, it's the mighty King of Asgard.” Loki said half annoyed and half disgusted. His mood then changed when he saw you and your cast. “What happened?” He demanded as he pressed his hands against the thick glass holding him.

"Oh, nothing. I just had a run-in with Thor's hammer." You laughed.

"You did this?!" He whipped his head in Thor's direction and gave Thor a look that could kill. Several S.H.I.E.L.D agents drew their massive Destroyer guns and pointed them at the large cage. Thor looked towards you for help.

"No, no, no. It wasn't his fault Loki." You nodded to Fury to let you in. He pressed the button, you hopped through with the crutches, then it solidified back into its web-like state behind you. You felt butterflies in your stomach as you led Loki to a small bench perched against the wall and sat down. "May we please have a moment alone?" You asked. Fury and Thor nodded and left. The guns were lowered and you waited till you heard the large metal door shut. 

“You looked really threatening back there.” You smirked. Instead of taking a jab at you like usual, he just frowned at your cast. You rolled your eyes. “Are you mad I didn't come yesterday?” You teased. 

“That oaf can't even protect you from his own hammer.” He sneered. This was going nowhere.

“So I heard they are letting you go back to Asgard for a proper trial.” You changed the subject. He simply clicked his tongue.

“Oh really? How do they know I won't evade their grasp and demolish New York again?” He questioned, smirking. You loved that.

“Well probably because they know that if you do anything, I'll char you." A small flame appeared in your hand. He laughed. It was music to your ears. Loki's smile diminished when he looked at your cast. "You know, I could heal you if I had my full power. Damn this cursed box." He scowled. 

“No, I kind of like the cast. I picked the color because it reminded me of you." Your face immediately reddened, realizing what you had just said.    
  
"Oh really?" He smirked. You tried to take it anywhere but his goddamn handsome face. Your eyes rested on a permanent marker across the room and at that moment you thought of a great idea.    
  
"Hey Loki, wanna sign my cast?" You stood and limped over to grab the marker and offered it to Loki.   
  
"Why in Asgard would I want to sign your cast?" He looked confused.   
  
"It's a way of condolence I guess." You handed him the marker.   
  
"What should I write?"    
  
"I don't know. Surprise me." You lifted your foot onto the bench and closed your eyes as you felt Loki tilt your foot slightly as he wrote on the cast.   
  
"There." He handed back the marker. You looked down, curious at what he wrote.   
  
~ You were meant for a glorious purpose   
-Loki   
  
His name took up half the cast. You started to laugh.    
  
"What is it? Did I do it wrong?"   
  
"No that's not it," You laughed even harder, "I just think Stark is gonna flip."

Back at the Stark Tower, you walked in the large living space to tell the others about Loki because it was no use keeping the secret anymore. 

“Hey (Y/n), wanna play Blackjack?” Clint invited you. The team was all there after a debriefing from Bruce about a weapon you found on the previous mission. 

“No thanks,” You paused, silently hoping they won't all turn on you when you tell them, “I've actually got to tell you all something.” You sat on the floor next to Clint.

“Is it about Loki? We already know he is being transferred today,” Stark said without looking up from his cards, “hit me.” Nat handed him another card and slapped his cards down. “Bust.” He groaned. You just looked at him shocked. 

“H-how - what?! When did you-?” You were cut off by Bruce. 

“We've known for quite some time. Sorry for not telling you.” He said. Stark shook his head. 

“In our defense, you didn't decide to tell us till now.” He pointed out. Well, that was way easier than expected. 

“Okay then. Well, Thor and I will be there to make sure he stays in check, but only Thor will go back with him to Asgard.” You cleared up. They all nodded then groaned when Cap announced he won. You signaled for Thor to take a seat.

“Cool. Now that that's all settled, pass me some cards.”

A couple of hours later, you and Thor are sitting in a small taxi. You were gazing out the window, it was right between fall and winter. The leaves on the few trees that lined the road had all fallen off except for the few rebels that still clung on. It had been silent for most of the ride to S.H.I.E.L.D HQ, till Thor spoke.

“I never got the chance to thank you for all that you have done.” He startled you. 

“Oh, yeah. I'm glad I decided to help out.” You turned to him and smiled. 

“Truthfully, thank you.” He was so intense, it made you blush. 

“N-No probl-.” You were interrupted by the buzz of your phone. 

~Report to the lab immediately.

It was from Dr. Helen. Your heart started to race. What was wrong? Was it about your most recent evaluation? Were you being called in because they wanted to lock you away, once and for all?

"(Y/n), are you alright?" Thor touched your shoulder. It caused you to jump and drop your phone. 

"Sorry, I spaced out for a moment. I'm good." You bent down to pick it up when suddenly the car emergency braked and you went face-first into the seat in front of you.

"Owww, hey!" You rubbed your smushed nose and slid open the privacy window to yell at the taxi driver but he wasn't paying attention to you, he was staring out the window in fear. "What the-? Suddenly, you heard screams. Thor looked at you and you both jumped out of the taxi. You were met with people pushing, running and screaming everywhere.

As soon as you saw the cause of all the commotion, you smiled at Thor.

"Knew we were going to get in some type of trouble today." You laughed.

"Agent Coulson said you didn't have Bildshnipes here." Thor looked ready for battle.

"What on earth is a Bildshnipe?" You questioned.

"You know huge, scaly, big antlers? Those things." Thor curled his fingers to look like horns on his head before pointing to a large monster 4 blocks in front of you. You looked at him incredulously before you were distracted by your phone ringing. Seeing the Caller ID, you answered immediately. 

"Hello? Nat, are you seeing this?" You asked looking up.

"Yeah, that's why I'm calling you. You need to get to the Tower fast." 

“Why, has something gone wrong?" You asked worriedly. 

"No, but you have a fractured ankle and you can't fight!" You could hear J.A.R.V.I.S in the background as he began to suit up Stark. 

"Don't worry about me Natasha, I can still fight." You hung up the phone. That same moment Thor was tackled by a huge beast. These things couldn't care less who or what was in their way. You threw your crutches on the ground, shifted all your weight onto your good foot, and burned a hole in the creature's side. It wailed and leaped at its attacker. You braced for impact, but before it could reach you Thor took one of its massive antlers and pulled it to the ground, the ground shook with its impact.

"Get to the Tower (Y/n)! You're not safe here!" He took on another beast. You had trouble finding your footing as you turned and scorched another one of the monsters.

"I’m not leaving you, Thor!" You yelled as a fireball shot out of your hand colliding with one of the monster's eyes, blinding it, giving Thor the perfect opportunity to send it flying. You turned to help him when someone roughly picked you up. You were lifted off the ground with ease and when you got high enough you could see just how many of the beasts there were.

"Hey, let me go!" You protested as Stark flew, his grip unrelenting.

"You're gonna get yourself killed if you keep acting like that." Stark seemed unfazed by your movements to free yourself. It was getting colder the higher you got.

"I can still help you guys! Please I'm useless if you don't let me help!" You pleaded trying to squirm out of his grasp. You could see that he was taking you back to the tower, the exact place you didn't want to go.

"Yeah, well you  _ will _ be useless if you get yourself killed." He gently set you down on the roof of Stark Tower. "Now stay." He pointed to you like a dog and flew off. 

You yelled for him to come back, be he simply ignored you and flew off back to the fight, where you were supposed to be. Groaning, you realized no one was going to help you get back, and with your ankle in the state it was, there was no way you could get there by walking. 

There was no use in standing on the balcony since Stark wasn't coming back, so you decided you would head for your room and create a plan to get back and help your team. You hobbled to the room which was right below the roof and stepped inside. Your foot was already throbbing with all the walking, so you took a seat on the large bed to give your foot a rest. As soon as you sat in your lush bed to try and figure out a way to get back out into the fight, something crashed into the floor below you. The force of the impact was too much and the floors below you crumbled. You latched on to the bed as you fell 3 floors. You screamed as your stomach dropped and you plummeted down. Landing wrong, you heard your cast crack and a rush of pain overpowered the adrenaline coursing through you. Crying out, you clutched your leg. Looking up to assess the damage, you met face to face with a huge Bildshnipe. You panicked and your whole body became engulfed in fire. A huge stream of the bright element shot out, and when the fire cleared there was nothing left of the beast.

"H-How did I do that?" You stared in awe for a while, till you realized you were still on fire. You snapped your fingers for the fire to distinguish, but your body stayed submerged. You tried again. By this time the marble floor beneath you had started to melt. 

"I-I-I can't put it out." You became scared, which fueled the fire and it became larger and more intense. The marble finally gave in and you fell through the floor once more, but this time you fell sideways, through a window below. You caught the metal rail and clung to the edge. You thought about calling J.A.R.V.I.S, then you realized no one could even get close to you while you were still on fire. You felt the metal of the edge start to liquefy under your fingers. You closed your eyes, trying,  _ pleading _ , for the fire to extinguish, but it only seemed to grow hotter, slowly turning to a darker flame. The metal became warped and you struggled to hold on to the edge. You began to pray, hoping to not fall to your death. Finally, the metal edge completely bent and you lost your grip. 

Then, in the midst of your panic, some sort of reflex kicked in. When the metal broke and you slipped off the edge you didn't fall, just sort of hovered. You looked down at your hands. They were flat and fire was flaming out sort of like Stark's thrusters. You lost all concentration when you looked down again. You were severely afraid of heights. The fire suddenly faded and you really were falling to your death.

Right when you were about to hit the ground, Thor caught you.

"What are you doing out?" He set you down on top of a parked car.

"Watch out!" You pointed behind him, he spun around and swung his hammer, sending the oncoming creature flying.

"One of the bildshnipe things crashed into Stark Tower and I fell." You explained. You were soon joined by Steve.

"Why aren't you at the Tower?!" He threw his shield and it bounced off several beasts, knocking them to the ground. Natasha and Clint were back to back, only a few feet away. You felt your hands flame up again. 

"STEVE DUCK!" You almost skid off of the hood of the car as you put your hands together and a large burst of fire came out and roasted a Bildshnipe. Stark landed next to you, blasting one of the beasts.

"I thought I told you to stay." His suit made a metallic noise and several tiny missiles shot out hitting one of the never-ending beasts.

"The fight came to me!" You said as a tiny flame appeared which you blew on to increase its size and scorched the face of one of them, it toppled over dead. You looked over at Natasha, she and Clint worked in unison, taking out multiple beasts. Soon it became quiet. You could then hear the panicked yells and screams of people still evacuating. "Is that all of them?" You let out a huge sigh. You heard a metallic sound and you looked towards Stark. His mask was up and he was looking at your cast with his mouth wide open.

"You let Loki sign your cast first?! Stark gasped. You blushed furiously. Natasha left the group to stomped over and enter an abandoned car. After a few minutes of rummaging, she came out with a marker. She told you to sit and grabbed your cast. She signed her name and smiled. 

"There, it looks good now." She glared at Stark as he snatched the marker and signed his name, taking up the whole bottom. 

"Leave some room for the rest of the team!" You took the marker from Stark and held it out to Cap. He started to walk towards you when suddenly the ground started shaking.

"Thor, what is that?" You slid off the car and shifted your weight again. The atmosphere seemed to be getting colder.

"I'm not sure." He replied, there was another loud rumble. You looked around to find the cause. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw something huge step out from behind a building.

"W-What the hell is that?!" You pointed to the massive monster approaching you. It looked like a massive version of the Bildshnipes but its fur was pale white and its claws looked like ice.

"I've heard legends of the very first Bildshnipe. It is by far the most deadly one, but it was supposed to be frozen in Jotunheim." Thor explained. The footsteps of the beast were the source of the rumbling. You looked at Natasha, she nodded and said something into her mic. You looked back at the monster.

Not long after, there was a defining roar and the sound of cement crumbling. The beast was getting closer. 

"Where's Bruce when you need him?!" You made the mistake of shifting your weight to your bad ankle. The pain was now starting to cut through all the adrenalin, and it hurt like hell. "If he doesn't get here soon I'll go after 'King Kong' myself!" You yelled through clenched teeth.

"I'll scout around for weaknesses." Stark replaced his helmet and flew off.

"I'll check for any more of those wild beasts." Clint said reaching for an arrow.

"Not without me." Natasha grabbed her gun. He shot an arrow in the air onto a building and connected himself with a zip line looking rope that pulled himself, along with Natasha, to the top.

"There are still people in that building. Thor and Steve get them out!" You pointed to the crumbling building across the street. 

"Someone needs to stay with you." Steve argued. 

"I'm fine, just go!" Cap and Thor reluctantly headed towards the building. The next minute, you heard a motorcycle approach behind you. Bruce! 

"Bruce, I think we have a code green here." You have only ever seen Banner turn once, it was awesome. He sighed and hopped off his bike. He walked in front of you, putting his hand out.

"I'd stand back if I were you." He took off his jacket, turned back and started to grow. His shirt ripped and his scarf fell with the leaves on the ground. 

"Oh. My. God." He was now 3x his original size and green, he roared. Everything about him was savage and strength, except his eyes. His eyes were the same. 

"Hulk," You pointed to the enormous green version of Banner, “smash.” He nodded and launched himself onto a building. "Ha! I've always wanted to say that!" You giggled. You watched as the Hulk lunged onto the humongous beast. Stark flew overhead and blasted the beast with his repulsor rays. Thor swung his hammer around, which pulled him into the air. The enormous monster paid no attention to the attacks. There wasn't even a scratch on it! 

It must have seen Stark coming because as soon as he was close enough, the beast turned around and whipped Stark out of the air. 

"Stark!" He hit the road hard, skidding across the asphalt. You rushed over to him.

"It's nice to see you still care for me." He sat up. 

"Of course I do! Are you okay?" You looked for anything wrong with his suit. 

"J.A.R.V.I.S, did you find any weaknesses?" He asked.

"No sir, but I think the beast may be heading towards S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters." J.A.R.V.I.S pointed out. You gasped. Loki! He's helpless in that cage! He won't be able to defend himself! 

"Sorry, I have to go!" You jumped up and tried to think of a way to get there fast enough. Then you remembered, when you fell out the window you used your fire as a boost to stay in the air. You concentrated and put all your energy into your hands. The fire kind of sputtered before it became a full-on flame. Soon enough, you lifted off the ground and flew like a rocket towards HQ. 

You were still getting the hang of the flying thing, so when you went to land you fell onto the roof, did a somersault and skid resulting in a throbbing pain in your ankle.

"Damn! That hurt!" You slowly stood up, brushed any leaves off and regaining strength, hopped down the steps. You warned everyone that the beast was headed their way as you passed, tripping several times without your crutches. Despite that, you were surprisingly fast for a person in a cast. 

You stopped at the large metal door and scanned the key card Fury gave you and pushed it open to proceed down the flights of stairs. As you reached the last door, you went to show the soldier posted there your access card, but no one was there. Not thinking straight and desperate to get to Loki, you totally ignore the absence of the soldier and quickly reach around the desk to swipe your key. As soon as the door opened you squeezed through in a panic.

"Loki we have to get you out of he-" As soon as the door fully opened you were hit with a large blast of blue energy. You were thrown backward and your head slammed against the ground. Your vision swam as you felt your cast crack again. "Wha...?" As you attempted to sit up, pain filled your body. A large hand pushed you down again.

"Careful love, I hit you quite hard." Loki loomed over you with a devilish smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry I won't let a body as beautiful as yours go to waste." He placed his scepter on your chest, then everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for taking your time to actually read this garbage lol. You literally mean the world to me.
> 
> Trigger warning!**
> 
> There is a bit of graphic violence in this chapter, so beware.

You awoke on a soft bed. The light was bright and the room smelled slightly familiar. You had a slight headache and for some reason, your foot started to burn. You hadn't felt this since you were young, it felt like your foot was- for lack of a better word- on fire. You sat up quickly to see the source of the pain, and you were met with the most peculiar sight. 

Loki was sitting beside you. He was turned away from you and had his hand over your injured foot. A green light seeped from his hands into the broken down and battered cast. The light then became darker and the burning in your foot suddenly increased tenfold. The unexpected surge of pain caused you to scream, and you clung to the closest possible anchor. The light then disappeared and he leaned back. Soon, the pain subsided and you watched as the cast cracked and crumbled. You frowned at your exposed foot and experimentally wiggled your toes. You gasped, Loki had just healed your ankle! It felt so good to move it again and you sighed.

Looking at Loki again, you realized you were clinging tightly to his arm still. He smirked and you immediately let go, your face red. You tried to think of a way to thank him, although it felt like you were forgetting something important. Breaking eye contact with the god, you reached down to touch your newly healed foot. Instantly, a sharp pain collided in your chest and you gasped. Suddenly, your memories came rushing back.

You remembered the taxi and the Bildshnipes that attacked New York. You remember the Tower and Thor explaining the first Bildshnipe. You also recalled rushing to HQ to protect Loki from the massive beast, then it became fuzzy. You frowned, trying to remember what happened next. You thought about the endless stairs and the large metal door which led to him. All at once, you remembered the pain,

Loki had attacked you at S.H.I.E.L.D. He had tried to kill you! You shot up and pushed away to jump off the bed. Loki's expression changed and he looked confused and stunned. 

"But I....how are you...?" He stood up and pointed his scepter at your chest again.

"Loki what the hell are you doing?!" You yelled, slapping the golden object away. Loki moved to grab your wrist, but a flame appeared in your hand. "Stay back!" You warned.

"(Y/n), wait let me explain." Loki said calmly. He seemed to change from before. He was so much more...wild.

"Explain what exactly? Why did you attack me? Why did you try to put me under your control? Yes, Loki, please explain!" You yelled furiously. He took a step closer. 

"I need you." He stepped closer. Your eyes widened in shock.

"W-What?" The flames flickered for a split second. The next moment, the figure in front of you disappeared and you felt a pair of hands on your waist. 

"Let go of me!" You tried to push away and rekindle the fire, but soon the room became painfully cold. The arms holding you had become blue. You felt an icy breath on your neck, the hands let go of your waist. You shivered violently and collapsed to the floor. The cold was still your ultimate weakness. Teeth chattered, knees shook, so you curled into a ball hoping to find warmth, but the cold was too much and you fell into a deep sleep. 

The next time you woke, it was in a very different room. This time, instead of a nice warm bed, you were crudely chained to the floor with a blanket thrown at your feet. Your teeth clacked together and you shivered, so you rubbed your hands together and tried to spark a fire. Nothing happened. So you tried again, nothing. You started to panic and you frantically scanned the room for any hostiles. Something caught your eye and you looked at the walls, they glistened with an invisible shield. After scanning the room once more and deciding there was no one else in the room, you took a deep breath and exhaled. Recalling the events earlier, you realized Loki must have put a spell on the room after you tried to attack him. 

You glanced at the measly blanket on the ground. Desperately in need of warmth, you picked it up and wrapped it around your shoulders. You rubbed your shoulders with the blanket and let the warmth seep into your frozen skin. You looked and listened for anything, anything that could be used to help the situation. The room was dark, and you could barely see in front of you. Looking to your right, you saw a stack of crates piled on top of each other, which made you think you were in some kind of storage area. Did Loki think you were some type of thing to just be stored away? 

There were boxes everywhere, some with the label STARK on them. You wondered if you could get a closer look before you heard the clink of the chain around your ankle. You leaned back against the wall and just sat there for a moment, trying to restore your body heat. Then, you heard voices. You strained your ear to get an idea of the conversation. The voices became more distinct as they got closer, till they were right behind the door. 

Suddenly, the door opened and a large military-looking man walked in. you squinted at the sudden intrusion of light. As your eyes adjusted, you got a batter look at the man in front of you. You'd guess he was about 50 or so. He had dark brown hair and a scar running down the side of his face going from his left ear to the bottom of his jaw. 

"Boss said I get to guard yeh," The man said in a deep voice with an accent hard to decipher, "And make sure yeh don't escape." He smiled, his teeth were yellow and crooked. You eyed the doorway where Loki was standing. You scowled viciously at him. He lied to you and kidnapped you only to leave you here with this man! Your scowl faltered. What did you expect from The God of Mischief? For a moment you locked eyes, and there was something there you couldn't decipher. He turned away without saying a word and closed the door. The man bent down in front of you, so close you could smell his rancid breath. "Now, let’s ‘ave some fun.”

You screamed, "Help me someone......mmph!" He clasped his hand around your mouth, you gagged at the strong smell of cigarettes.

"Don't want the boss to hear yeh, now do we?" He said. The gleam in his eyes made you cringe. You had no idea what he was going to do to you, so you thought of the first defense that came to your mind. So, you bit down on his hand as hard as you could, till you tasted blood.

"OW! Yah little bitch," He let go immediately and clutched his hand. Grunting in fury, he slapped you across the face, "You've no idea who yer messin’ with." He shook his hand and you saw the crimson blood dripping from it. The side of your face stung fiercely.

_ But it was worth it to see him bleed.  _

"Look what you’ve done!" He bent down in front of you again and grabbed your chin tightly enough to bruise. So you spit in his face.

"I'm not afraid of you, I would never fear something as disgusting as you.  _ You  _ don’t know who you’re messing with. I am an Avenger and they will stop at nothing to get me back!" 

_ They would...wouldn't they? _

He wiped his face with his good hand. "What, too weak to save yourself?" He kicked you hard in the side and you fell over. You heard him tear the blanket, he shoved it in your mouth and tied it behind your head. "There. Now I won't have to listen to yeh bitchy voice anymore." Looking at you once more he grinned horribly. He reeled back and punched you again, this time knocking you out cold. 

Then, you had a dream about the first time you met the Avengers.

~ You were supposed to meet them at Stark Tower for a debriefing. You decided to work on your novel while you waited.

"Oh hey, whatcha got there?" A man looked over your shoulder.

"AHHHH." You hugged the papers to your chest to prevent him from seeing. "Who are you?!" You demanded, trying to keep your cool and not burn your novel to a crisp. The man gasped.

"You don't know who I am?!" He said in a fake hurt voice. "Why I am a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist!" He exclaimed. "The name's Stark, Tony Stark AKA Iron man, at your service." He dramatically bowed. This is the famous Tony Stark I've heard all about? Seems a bit egotistical to me. 

After walking into the tower, you met the rest of the team. A sleek woman with a tight black suit sat next to you on a couch. 

"So I hear you are writing a novel." The woman said. 

"So word really does spread like wildfire over here. Should've never trusted the 'too good to be true philanthropist'." You muttered. 

"And you are right about that Miss." A man with short blond hair walked over to us, "My name is Steve Rogers, nice to meet you, ma'am." He smiled and shook your hand. 

“Oh! You're the very first superhero, right? My name is (Y/n), nice to meet you too." It was pretty cool getting to meet someone you have read so much about.

"That's Natasha Romanova or Black Widow." He gestured to the woman beside you and she nodded. Then, your attention turned to the 3 men that walked through the door. One was Stark, as you called him, and the other two you didn't recognize. Steve pointed to the one in a purple shirt, "That is Bruce Banner. He's our expert in Gamma Radiation-" 

"He's also part of the team because of his tantrums. You know when he turns green and destro-" Steve elbowed Stark in the side. You looked curiously towards the man. He seemed harmless enough. 

"And that," Natasha pointed to the other person, "is Clint Barton or Hawkeye." 

"Hey, I can introduce myself, thank you." Clint walked up to you. "Natasha here stole my introduction. Yes, I'm Clint Barton." He smiled. "Now what was it she was saying about you writing a novel?" 

"I'm a terrible writer but I like to read. Do you think I could be the first one to read it?" Natasha asked. 

"Well, I wasn't really planning on anyone reading it anyway." You laughed.

"What's the point in writing a book if no one's gonna read it?" Bruce questioned. 

"Ya know, some people say that being a writer is like showing your butt to the world." Clint smirked. 

"W-What?!" You blushed.

"Oh, you don't have to be embarrassed," Natasha smiled, "Come on (Y/N), please show it to me! I'm not talking about your butt so don't get the wrong idea here." 

"I would like to see her butt-" Steve elbowed Stark in the side again.

"It's not really done yet." You said.

"Then promise I'll be the first one to read it when you are done, okay?" Natasha said. You nodded. 

That was the moment you and Natasha became best of friends.~

You were suddenly woken by a harsh kick to the stomach.

"Get up bitch!" The man kicked you again and you heard a sharp crack and the pain increased. 

"When I get out of here I promise I'll kill you." You stood up shakily, using the cold stone wall for support.

"Getting too confident now are we eh?" He grabbed your chin and forced you to look him in his eyes. "I can almost promise yah, yeh won't be leavin’ this building live." His eyes were full of hate. He let go of your chin and you stumbled back against the wall. He stepped closer to pin you and raked his eyes over you. He leaned into your neck and you saw your chance and kneed him as hard as you could muster. You ran as far as the chain around your ankle let you.

"Help somebody! Help me!" You tugged fruitlessly on the iron chain.

"Yeh littl’ rat!" The man bent over in pain, reached out and yanked you against the wall. Your head hit with a loud crack. He pulled out a gun from his back and pointed it at your head. "I'll make sure you’ll be leavin’ in a body bag!" Suddenly, the door opened.

"Gideon is she alright, I heard-" Loki stood at the doorway. He saw Gideon and the gun pointed directly at you and immediately blasted the man with his scepter and the man went flying. You slid helplessly to the ground.

"(Y/n)! Are you alright?" Loki kneeled beside you. You clutched your side and you had cuts and bruises everywhere. Your vision swam and your head was throbbing fiercely. In your state, you couldn’t hear anything Loki was saying as he kneeled over you. The ringing in your ears drowned everything out.

"W-Why?” You said, barely a whisper, “Why do you do this to me Loki?" He looked at you, brows together in worry. "Why do you lie to me and then pretend to care for me?" Your vision had started to fade. His expression soon changed.

"You need to be properly taken care of. I'll take you to my chambers." He said emotionlessly. With the flick of his wrist, the cuff around your ankle unlocked, he picked you up bridal style and your vision faded to blackness. 

When you woke, you were on an extravagant bed. You turned your head and looked around the magnificent room. The walls were a deep blue, and they glistened with the same invisible shield as the other room. The sheets were silk in a soft golden color and the pillows impossibly soft. The window beside you revealed that it was night. You wondered how long you had been out. As you turned more to see the rest of the room, you were startled to see Loki standing next to you. 

Sitting up swiftly, you clutched your side in pain. You could feel bruised ribs and it was difficult to breathe. Recalling your earlier encounter, you understood why you were sore just about everywhere. Loki took a step toward you, acutely aware of your discomfort. Instinctively, you shot a hand up to protect yourself. 

“I am not here to hurt you.” Loki raised his hands cautiously, even though you were incapable of creating any sort of flame to harm him. 

“Like I'd believe you, after everything!” Loki’s jaw clenched. 

"I understand your unease-" 

"Oh really?" Loki was irritated, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. 

"I know this may seem like lies, but perhaps you will understand if you listen?" He lowered his hands and you frowned. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" You tried to shift up the bed more to put distance between the two of you, but a sharp pain in your side stopped you. Loki's hands twitched, almost reaching out to you. 

"We have a common enemy, you and I." Your frown deepened and you hesitated. 

"Who?" Loki smiled at your question.

"The one who brought the Bildishnipes to Earth." You raised an eyebrow. 

"Wait, that wasn't you? It wasn't part of some crazy escape plan?" You waved an arm for emphasis. Loki laughed softly and you felt butterflies in your stomach. 

_ Even after everything.  _

He shook his head lightly like he was talking to a child. 

_ Which to him, I guess I  _ am. 

You twitched and Loki sensed your unease, mistaking it for a reaction to his words. 

“No,” He smirked, “But I am honored that you would think so.” Your shoulders started to settle at the light-hearted tone of his voice. It was just like talking to him in the cell. It brought back memories. “No, it was not part of a plan to liberate myself. Although, I did take advantage of the chaos. Those fools at S.H.I.E.L.D underestimated me and were sorely mistaken.” A dark gleam replaced the light one and you tensed again. Loki focused back on you, his eyes softer. “But, the one who did cause the havoc is  _ not  _ on my side either. Those beasts were sent as a message to me,” He turned away from you. “Whoever it was wanted to show that they were powerful enough to defeat the Frost Giants. They would never let the beasts go free, willingly.” The tone of Loki’s voice made you shudder. You knew better than to ask if Thor knew anything, so you stayed silent. But still, questions knocked around in your head, till you couldn't stand it anymore. 

“Why am I here, Loki?” 

There was a long pause before he finally spoke. 

“I did not lie to you before, when you first woke.” He turned around to face you once more. “I do need you, (Y/n).” A shiver went down your spine at his words. You locked eyes and you saw the sad, broken man you visited every day for the past 2 years. “I know that you and I can work together.” He seemed genuine with his words, but you were still wary. 

“What do you mean? Why?” You hadn't even noticed how close he had gotten, now standing at the edge of the bed. You gasped, and Loki raised his hand to touch your shoulder to calm you. You recoiled, remembering the last time, the extreme, numbing cold that he brought with his touch. He stopped, just above touching you, and retreated. Then, almost like he was a different person, his tone changed severely. Taking several steps back, Loki held his hands behind him. 

“I knew that no matter what I said none of your precious Avengers would listen and it would be too late, so I took matters into my own hands.” He seemed to now be distancing you, almost like he didn't have the time for you. You huffed angrily. 

“So you kidnap me? Frease me half to death and then stick me in some dark hole with some horrible man who could have…” You drifted off, not even daring to finish the sentence. You remembered the awful strong smell of cigarettes and almost gagged. Loki’s demeanor changed once more, softer now, and he turned to you.

“It was a mistake, placing Gideon in charge. I know that.” He strode up to the bed once more. “But I would never allow someone who would do anything that heinous anywhere near you.” He sighed and looked away. “I hired him as a guard, the information I was given told me he was the best of the best. I thought he would be the most suitable for your protection.” Turning to look at you, he said, “And for that, I am sorry.”

Your mind was going a mile a minute. Why was he all of a sudden acting like he cared? You could hardly keep up with everything he was saying and his mood changes. You were so conflicted. Should you trust him? Loki noticed your hesitation and he seemed to be in deep thought. Finally, he clenched his jaw and whirled around to look at you again. 

“I had hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this.” He reached into his cuff, and you braced for what he was planning. To your surprise, he pulled out a small golden cuff. You instinctively leaned closer for a better look. Loki gazed at the cuff solemnly.

“When I was just learning the art of magic, my mother gifted me this,” He held up the thin band, and it twinkled in the light. “It is meant to enhance the wearer natural magic within, and allow for them to channel it easier.” He then placed the cuff lightly on the bed next to you. “I want you to take it, as an olive branch per se.” You were shocked. Frigga was a very personal subject for Loki and you knew how much she meant to him. You also knew there was no chance this could be a trick, Loki would never use his mother to lie. You looked at the beautiful cuff and then back at the man in front of you. “I need you to trust me.” He nodded at the band and you tentatively picked it up from the silk of the bed. You were surprised by the weight of the small object, it was closer to the weight of a large necklace. But what really caught your eye, was the tiny emerald gems embedded within, as well as the otherworldly inscriptions all around it. As you inspected the cuff, Loki watched you intently. “From now on, if you do not trust me, or you feel I am putting you in harm's way, you may do whatever you please with it.” Your head jerked up to look at him. 

_ He would really allow me to do whatever I wanted? To his  _ mother’s _ gift?  _ You began to seriously think. What he’s done is unmistakable and unforgivable.

_ But he seems to be completely genuine.  _ So, you began to rationalize that the best way out of here is through Loki. He appears to be the only thing stopping you, so you decide to play along with his game. But not without your own terms first. 

“Loki, What you have done is unforgivable, and things will never be the same between us. You ruined that trust and that is not something easy to gain back,” Loki twitched at your words, “But, I believe you, and I want to help  _ Earth.  _ So, with your offering of peace, I accept.” You sighed and forced yourself to lean back on the oak headboard, your whole body screaming, exhausted from the effort. 

_ But of course, I am still out of commission. What else could go wrong? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you think my characterization of anyone is not what you think it should be. I would love any constructive criticism.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can not believe the amazing response I have gotten. 500 Reads! Thank you guys so much for reading this far.

At the acceptance of his offer, Loki smiled widely. But once he saw your pained face, he suddenly turned serious again. 

"Remove your shirt," He said simply and looked away.

“What the hell?” You were taken aback at the sudden change in topic. Loki just rolled his eyes and huffed, annoyed that he would have to explain his strange behavior. 

"I must examine your wounds, I cannot heal you properly unless you. Remove. Your. Shirt.” You waited for there to be some sort of trick, or lie. Loki simply waited for you to comply. 

_ I said that I would go along with his plan, and he gave me his cuff.  _ You thought.  _ I  _ am _ in pretty bad shape, and he healed me earlier.  _ Sensing no ulterior motive, you hesitantly did as he said and laid flat on your back, crossing your arms over your clothed chest.

Sparing your pride as much as possible, Loki only turned slightly to see what was needed. He reached his right hand slightly over your left leg and you stiffened. He observed your agitation and continued slowly. Soon, you felt a cooling sensation on your leg, followed by a stinging pain. You cringed, it felt like there were hot coals being laid wherever his hand went, just as it did before when he healed your ankle. You tried your hardest to not squirm from the pain, and you bit down on your lip. As his hand crept up your torso, you grew nervous. Luckily, he stopped right below your chest. "Turn on your back." He instructed. You frowned again. 

"I… I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with my back." You turned away from him to put your shirt back on. He paused, ready to protest, then let it go.

“If you insist.” As you reached and pulled your shirt back on you felt exponentially better. The sharp pain and soreness were mostly gone. But, as you began to turn sideways, you groaned and fell back to the bed with a thump. The pain came back instantly, albeit much less than before. Loki reached out, but then immediately pulled his hands back again. 

"You need to rest. The magic is still healing you,” Loki told you, “The best option is to let it continue on its course with no interruptions," A mischievous smile dawned on his face and you shivered lightly, "you can rest here, in my room." 

You seeing as there was only one bed in the room, you asked the obvious question. "Where are you going to sleep?" 

"Why here of course, these  _ are _ my chambers." Loki chuckled and walked towards what you assumed was the bathroom. "There are clothes for you in the drawer." He gestured to a dresser. You were caught off guard by the whole situation. He made it seem like he knew you were going to accept. 

_ That bastard! _ He seemed unfazed at the fact that he just insinuated that you and him would be sleeping in the same bed. At the thought, your cheeks turned a deep shade of red. When he finally shut the door, you decided to look around the room once more. Taking in more of the sight you noticed that the floor was a lush cream carpet and the large window was actually a door that led outside. You stood-careful not to make a sound in case Loki was deliberately listening-and tiptoed to the door. When you tried to open it became apparent that they were locked and the glass was impenetrable, no matter how hard you tried. Looking at the walls again and watching them glisten with magic, you realized that Loki went through a lot to keep you in here. 

Soon, your exhaustion forced you to give up trying to escape. Adrenaline wearing off, you sluggishly walked over the beautiful dark oak dresser and searched for the clothes Loki had mentioned. Surprisingly, the whole dresser seemed to be full of clothes just for you. Changing into what you found in the dresser, you sat on the bed waiting for Loki. You caught sight of Loki’s twinkling cuff and you picked it up gently and set it under a t-shirt in the dresser drawer so Loki wouldn’t find it and try to break the agreement. Not long after, Loki exited the bathroom.....shirtless. He wore black sweatpants and he was drying his hair with a pristine white towel, like something out of a movie. You couldn't help but look. 

_ Goddammit! Why must your mind betray you! _ Your mind began to wander and you thought about how his muscles are always hidden and that he should let them show more.

_ Wait, what is wrong with me?! Why did he have to put me through this?! _ You sighed as you scooted further from him, trying to put some distance between his half-naked figure and to clear your head. All of a sudden, your stomach rumbled violently and you realized just how hungry you were. 

_ I don’t think I have eaten since before the attack on New York. I have no idea how long it's been since then. _ You looked in Loki’s direction again. Despite how hungry you were, there was no way in hell you were going to ask that psychopath for food. 

Loki suddenly looked towards you and smiled. And, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. When Loki flicked his wrist and the door unlocked, you were surprised to see a foreign soldier enter with a tray of food. Your mouth watered at the thought of eating. The soldier left quickly and you looked longingly at the food. No letting the foreign soldier go unnoticed, you filed it away as something to talk about late, and then you focused on the mouth-watering food before you. 

_ No, I can’t. Knowing Loki it there must be something wrong with it.  _

“Go ahead, it's not poisoned if that is what you are thinking.” You were hesitant to approach the tray, but the wonderful aromas were too alluring and your stomach won out. You lifted the cover to reveal your favorite meal. You nearly fainted. Picking up the metal tray, you forwent the bed and settled on the soft cream couch instead. Loki watched you eat in silence. You couldn't help but wonder if he had eaten. Even if he was crazy, you couldn't just sit there and eat in front of him without asking.

_ He  _ was _ the one who got it for me in the first place. _

"Uh, Loki? Are you hungry?" You asked, gesturing to the food. 

"No, I'm fi-" He was cut off by his stomach growling. You unsuccessfully tried to hide your smirk. You looked at him and then decided to pat the cushion next to you, and he walked over. He eyed you as well as the food before sitting next to you. You waited for him to pick at your food, then you realized he had no utensils. You were about to hand him yours when he opened his mouth, waiting. You were caught off guard and almost dropped the plate. Startled by his bold assumption you hesitated. Loki simply reveled in your discomfort with the idea and he leaned back. 

“Well, it was your idea, right? And I do not want to call down that soldier again just for some utensils. ” You scowled as he opened his mouth again, waiting for you to  _ spoon-feed him _ . His stomach rumbled and you felt torn. On one hand, you most certainly did not want to feed him like a baby. But on the other hand, you felt bad that you were eating and he watched you while he was hungry. You absolutely knew just how stubborn Loki could be, so you caved. Your hand shook lightly as you reached down and scooped up some of the food to give to him. Bringing the utensil to his mouth, you fed Loki. __

_ Did I really just spoon-feed Loki Laufeyson? _ He grinned and hummed appreciatively.

“T-There, now you can have some yourself.” But Loki looked at you dubiously. He was so stubborn, of course he wouldn't eat unless you fed it to him. You looked anywhere but his eyes, trying your damned hardest to not look at him.

“The least you could say is thank you.” You grumbled under your breath. He finished his bite and hummed in appreciation. 

_ Seems like that's all I'm going to get.  _ You smiled lightly to yourself as he waited for another bite. You smirked as you acted like you were going to feed him again, but you quickly pulled away and took the food for yourself. Loki seemed slightly shocked and you both chuckled. You then caught his gaze and it was nothing like you expected. You could see that there was nothing rude or pompous about him. It didn’t feel like you were a servant, and you appreciated that greatly. So, picking up the silverware again, you established a shaky rhythm. A bite for him, a bite for you. The whole damn time you were the color of a fresh strawberry.

Soon, the food was gone and it was time for bed. You waited for some sort of punch line, waiting for Loki to laugh and say that he has a room for you. But nothing of the sort came. It seems you really were going to sleep in the same bed. You set the tray down and headed toward the large bed. 

_ At least it's big enough to not have to touch each other.  _ You settled into the golden covers and listened for any sign of trickery from Loki. But, he simply climbed into the bed after you and you scooted as far away from him as you possibly could. Of course, it made the tension so much worse saying as you had just finished spoon-feeding him. He flicked his wrist and you were plunged into darkness. 

Laying next to Loki proved difficult and you had a hard time even closing your eyes. After a while, your body won out and you began to slowly drift off. You laid in silence for a while, thinking about how screwed up you were. Even after everything he has done, you still had feelings for him.

As you relaxed more, you started to feel the burning pain from before. The pain lingered, getting stronger by the minute, the feeling of burning taunted you as you slept. It was starting to really hurt, it engulfed your body and nothing you did made the pain lessen. You squirmed till you couldn't take it anymore. 

"Dammit!" You tried to sit up but a sharp pain pierced your side. You yelped and fell back down onto the soft bed.

"Can't sleep, hmm?" You could hear the amusement in his voice. He seemed to find amusement by watching you struggle.

"Is there any way you can get rid of this burning pain?" You groaned. You threw the covers off to try and cool down but to no avail. 

"Well,” Loki hesitated. You were about to try anything at this point if it would make the burning go away. He turned toward you. “If you seek solace for the pain, I believe you already know that I'm a Frost Giant." You recalled the moment where he instantly froze you by just using his hands. That was absolutely terrifying for you, and you were not about to go through that again.

"Oh, hell no! Not after what you did to me!" You felt a sudden mood change in the air. Loki stayed silent. You edged farther away from him and tried to just ignore the pain. Shutting your eyes tightly, you prayed that it would just go away on its own. But, it seemed the more you ignored it, the worse the burning became. Finally, after squirming uncomfortably for another 5 minutes or so, you sighed in defeat.

"Don't you even  _ dare _ try anything funny Loki, or I swear I'll kill you." You threatened harshly. Still hesitant about him, you only scooted a little closer to the middle of the bed. YOu could feel Loki’s mood change.

"Don't worry, I still need you to trust me." You jumped slightly as you felt his breath on your neck. Tentatively, his arms wrapped around you. Then, you could feel his torso press against your back. Slowly, as to not startle you, his body started to drop in temperature. Wary of Loki but welcoming the relief, you sighed. The cooling sensation was perfect to soothe the intense burning pain in your body. Soon, the cool relief started to lull you to sleep. Delirious with sleep and pain, you did not think before you responded to him.

"I don't trust you. Not anymore." His body suddenly became colder. You started to shiver. He seemed to notice because his body temperature went back up.

You tried to stay awake and make sure Loki didn't do anything, but sleep finally took a hold of you. As you drifted off to sleep the last thing you heard was Loki's soft voice. 

"I wish it didn't have to be this way.”

You woke up expecting to be in Stark Tower with Stark barging in, but you were welcomed by silence. You shivered. __

_ Why is it so cold with the blankets? _ You heard a soft moan. Loki tightened his grip on you. You hadn't noticed before, but now you were fully aware he had stealthily snaked his hands under your shirt and around your middle. 

"WHA-?" You tried to jump up, but Loki's grip prevented that from happening. Instead, you slipped and fell into the floor face first. "Ugh....oww." 

_ What the hell is happening? _ Remembering where you were, you swiftly sat upright.  _ Thank god I forgot to take my bra off. _ You heaved a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. Loki yawned and rolled over to look at you on the floor. And as if he remembered something, his eyes turned from confusion to sorrow for a split second, then to triumph. A grin plastered on his face. You looked around the room, remembering the glistening walls. "Why are you smiling like an idiot?" 

"Just the notion of sharing the same bed as you." Loki looked down at you again. You blushed furiously. 

"Y-Yeah well savor the moment because it won't happen again!" You stood up and brushed yourself off. You soon regretted that statement. Loki suddenly disappeared, then reappeared behind you. 

"Don't mind if I do." Loki wrapped his arms around your waist. 

"G-Get off!" You pushed him away. His grin faltered. "First you kidnap me, stick me in a cell with a pubic who beat me, then you joke about me sleeping with you? What the hell is wrong with you?!" You slapped him. He turned slightly, the grin gone as if it never existed. "Why the hell are you doing this to me?” You stepped back, “All I ever did was help you. I just wanted you to get out of the wretched cell.” Your legs hit the back of the bed and you fell on to it. “All you needed was a little help....." You shook your head, remembering the small, almost bare cell, and your determination to free him. You suddenly couldn't look at his face, too afraid of what he would say to you or worse, hit you. There was a deafening silence.

"All I desire is for you to be on my side. To trust me." He lifted your chin to look at him. He looked as if he was having a mental battle inside his head. You looked into the eyes of the most complicated man you have ever known. He gazed back at you intently. You then had this inexplicable feeling that you had really helped Loki and all that time with him had paid off. You almost began to smile. Then, he turned away, letting go of your chin. The battle within himself seemed to end, and his whole demeanor shifted. Suddenly, he turned back and the emotion that was just there vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a cold glare. You gasped at the sudden and immediate change in his person. Then, he spoke, "I require your powers, you will be very useful to me." He announced simply and turned to the door. He smoothed his hair down and his armor materialized on him as he exited. You stared in utter shock.

_ Oh, how wrong I was. There was never anything I could do to help him.  _ The only thing you could do now was hope and pray that your friends were on their way to rescue you. 

You sat on the bed for a while, contemplating everything that had occurred since you have been in this strange place. After inspecting the room again in search of something,  _ anything _ that could help you, you gave up and decided to take a shower. You entered the bathroom and you were overwhelmed by a large marble tub accompanied by various types of shampoos, conditioners and body washes. You ran your hand over the cool marble and admired the beauty of the tub. Wondering if Loki would be upset if you had used his private bathroom, you immediately turned the knobs to start a nice hot bath. You stayed in the bath for a while, thinking. Loki had kidnapped you and brought you to some mysterious place where you assumed he lived. You wondered-after all that had occurred-if Loki cared for you, remembering his intense gaze and the meal you shared last night. 

_ But he just said he wanted me for my powers! _ You dug your hands in your (h/c) locks and tugged. You were so frustrated.

After getting out of the long bath, you changed into jeans and a tee and searched the drawers once more. There were women's clothing along with some makeup products. You wondered if he had bought all of the products and clothes or if they had belonged to someone else. You felt a ping in your heart at the thought but then shook the misguided feeling away.

_ What the hell is happening to me? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to acknowledge all those who have left absolutely wonderful comments in the last few chapters. Thank you, y'all seriously keep me going. 
> 
> Saphira3002, Kookiedokie, Snow_Fall_the_Winter_Maiden, MysticMermaid, sakuchwan, and Atlantian_Blood_Liar. Y'all are beautiful.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a rather short chapter. I'm not too happy with how it came out but here it is! I have been busy trying to set up all of my classes online because of the whole schools shutting down and all. Thank you so much for sticking around for this long, I owe you everything.

You approached the massive unbreakable window/door that took up most of the whole wall. You sat on a beautiful blue couch and stared out the window, admiring the gorgeous view. 

There was a small pond with a bench, many types of flowers swayed in the wind. Surrounding the whole garden was a huge wall made entirely of a massive hedge expanding as far as you could see. Although though it was beautiful, you realized that there was no way out that way either. But as you turned to go back to the bed, something caught your eye. It was Loki, he was talking to a woman. He was wearing a suit with a gold and green scarf, his intimidating scepter at his side. The woman had blonde hair and a tattoo of the four elements down her arm. She had this very intimidating stance and nails that were freshly manicured. They seemed to be arguing. You gasped when she pulled him into a kiss. A wave of jealousy rushed over you. You were surprised yet relieved when he pushed her away and she stormed off.  
  
"She is probably another one of the people he brainwashed." You said, trying to reason with the whole situation. You were still trying to figure out why you still had feelings for him after everything that happened. You are his prisoner here. What happened last night was just because you were in pain. You blushed. No, what the hell were you thinking? You smacked your head to push the thought away. You deliberately turned away from the window so that you couldn't see the man who made your life so complicated. But, you couldn't help but peek over your shoulder curiously. Loki was standing in the garden pacing. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw something shiny poke out of the bushes beside the window. When you realized what it was you banged on the large window and shouted without thinking.   
  
"LOKI! LOKI, LOOK OUT!" You screamed hoping he would hear you. But, the invisible spell seemed to absorb all sound. You continued banging your fists on the window. You stood, horrified when the arrow launched out of the crossbow heading straight towards Loki. He turned slightly and caught the arrow mid-flight. You stared in awe. _Did he really just catch an arrow?_ He looked at you and smiled. Then, several more crossbows poked out of the hedge. Loki's scepter shimmered and formed into a long staff. The next moment, all the arrows were shooting at once. He dodged one, it barely missed his arm. He pointed the staff at a crossbow in the bushes and a blue light burst out, uprooting the bush and exposing the assassin. More arrows zoomed past. Loki handled the large staff with ease, moving it to deflect the arrows flying towards him. It was amazing! The staff shot bursts of light in every direction, throwing the assassins to the ground. Soon the arrows ceased flying, Loki looked your way again and smirked. Did he put on that little show just for you? _That idiot!_ You gritted your teeth, but when he did a dramatic bow you couldn’t help but laugh a little. Suddenly, Loki's expression changed and he yelled. The invisible shield blocked all sound, in and out.   
  
"What?" You tried to make out what he was saying, till a hand grasped your mouth. That smell, it was familiar. You thrashed about, trying to get away from your attacker. You tried to bite, but he cupped his hand as if he knew you would try. The man dragged you across the floor, away from the window. You reached out to grasp anything you could. You felt something large and heavy press against your back.

"Get up yeh little whore!" The man's voice was familiar also. You immediately pieced it all together. You stood with his hand still covering your mouth. It's Gideon, the man that tortured you!

_I thought he was dead? How is he here?!_ He let go of your mouth and grabbed you by the hair, you screamed.   
  
"Loki help me, please!"   
  
"Yer boyfriend won't help yah now." He stuffed a foul-smelling rag in your mouth and tied your hands together. You gaged harshly and were slightly grateful you hadn't eaten breakfast. You felt a sharp tug at your hair again. He dragged you out of the room into the hallway. He pulled you up to your feet roughly and you were pushed in front by the large object on your back. He started to walk forward, shoving you every few steps. 

_ If Loki really needed you he would save me, right?  _ You thought, panicked. Gideon shoved you again and you tripped over something and fell hard on to the ground. _ Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he doesn't care what happens to me at all. _ Emotions overflowed, you couldn't hold back anymore. You began to cry, staining the floor with tears.

"Get... UP!" The man, Gideon, kicked you again and again. This time you didn't put up a fight. You didn't want to do this anymore. You didn't want to keep being hurt and rejected by the one you loved. You saw him point a large gun at your head. You closed your eyes, waiting for him to shoot. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." You opened your eyes and looked towards the voice. It was the blond woman who was talking with Loki in the garden. 

_ Loki probably doesn't care what happens, which is probably why he sent his minion instead of coming himself. Figures. Why do I keep thinking he cares for me?  _

"Loki needs her for his plan." The woman looked at her nails as if she was bored with the whole situation. 

"Well tell that freak he'll pay for what he did to me," Gideon pointed to a large gash, through his torn shirt, on his torso. He brought the gun up to her, "Now move or I'll kill you." She laughed.

"Really?" She pointed her finger at him and he flew back. Your eyes widened in awe and fear. When he tried to get up she pointed her finger at the ceiling and a piece of the cement structure fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground. You scrabbled back, praying she doesn't do the same to you. The woman sauntered over to you and looked at your tear streaked face.

"My my, you are a mess aren't you?" She sighed and bent over to free your hands. You untied the gag.

"T-Thank you." You stood up and wiped your face. You looked behind the woman as Loki appeared. 

"Ahh, there you are." The woman said smiling. As she went to embrace him, he completely ignored her and walked straight towards you. 

"Are you alright? What happened," He glanced behind you and scowled. "I thought I killed him." You looked down, not wanting to look him in the eyes. 

_ He had the nerve to pretend to care about me? Even after what just happened?  _ You ignored him angrily, but that didn't stop him from getting answers. He cupped your chin with his hand and looked in your eyes. 

Suddenly, all the doubts you have had about him disappeared. His eyes were so full of worry and care. You looked into his green eyes and almost began to cry again. No one had ever looked at you that way and your heart swelled. "(Y/n), please tell me what happened here." He asked. You snapped out of the trance.

"Uh...G-Gideon tried to kidnap me to get back at you for saving me earlier. But she saved me." You nodded towards the woman. 

You looked into his eyes once more and saw that the worry had molded itself into anger, along with something else you couldn't figure out. Soon the anger turned to raw rage. You have never seen Loki like this before, not even in New York. He looked ready to tear the man apart.

Loki let go of you and he whipped around towards Gideon. As he furiously strode toward the pinned man, he raised his hand and a green light hovered over the ceiling piece, lifting it off of him. Loki flicked his wrist and the large cement piece went hurling against the wall. The whole building shook at the impact. Loki stopped and glared down at the man as he pointed his scepter at Gideon's chest. 

"You dare try to take her from me?!" He pressed the scepter harder, breaking the skin. Gideon yelled. You were completely astonished. "You don't know what it feels like to have everything ripped from you. The _ pain _ ." He was so furious and his scepter only seemed to amplify it. The cold seeped into Gideon and his skin began to turn blue from frostbite right where the weapon touched his skin. Loki pressed harder, threatening to run him through. You panicked.

“Loki, please wait.” You touched his shoulder gently, it was ice cold. “Remember what I said to you in your cell? You don’t have to kill anyone anymore.” Loki turned ever so slightly in response to you. You hadn't realized it but he had turned to his natural Jotunn form, his piercing red eyes startling you. He still did not let up. “He doesn’t deserve the easy way out. Hand him over to the police and let him rot in jail for the rest of his life." Hearing this, Loki turned to you fully and frowned. 

“After everything he has done to you and you still would let him go?” Loki asked, astounded. You gave him a small shaky smile. Jotunn Loki cupped your face and chuckled disbelievingly. He turned and finally released Gideon. The man clutched his chest in pain. His skin, blue at the point of contact, was frozen. Loki looked at you again and you could see him start to revert back to the Loki you knew. Neither you or Loki paid attention to Gideon. He took his chance and grabbed the huge gun next to him and shot blindly. The bullet of energy flew straight towards you. You instinctively blocked yourself with your arms, conjuring a flame that scorched the futile attempt at revenge. Gideon threw his head back, defeated. You lowered your arms, suddenly feeling extremely dizzy. You couldn't feel your legs anymore as you collapsed. Loki caught you in his arms and set you straight.

"Annora," Loki called the woman over. She had been standing silently in the background watching the whole scenario, "Get him out of my sight." He commanded, and Annora looked totally shocked. She thought for sure that he would run the traitor right through. She scowled deeply but did as she was told. Loki lifted you up and started to walk you to his room.

"Thanks." You held your side. He may have actually broken a rib or something this time. Loki muttered something under his breath. "Did you say something?" You questioned. He turned away from you.

"No." He turned away for a moment.

"Oh my gosh. Did Loki; the all-powerful God of Mischief just blush?!" You laughed and you had to lean against the wall for support. Loki looked over at you and frowned which only made you laugh harder. Suddenly smiling, he picked you up bridal style, his face only inches away from yours. Your laughter stopped dead and you blushed profoundly. 

"My, my, is the all-powerful Goddess of Fire blushing?" He laughed, which only made your blush darken. You buried your face in his chest to hide the deepening blush. You felt him tense for a moment, then slowly relaxed. 

_ Maybe he has changed. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you think this is jumping around too much. I really appreciate all of your guy's comments.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight story change toward the end. Not crazy by any means. 
> 
> This is so mushy. I have no regrets.

With every step Loki took your side ached, but it was better than walking on your own. Finally, you arrived at his room again. He set you down gently on his golden bed. You gently scooted up toward the top of the bed and you watched as Loki set aside his scepter. He then turned back toward you.

"You must remove your shirt again." He said without wavering, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. You stared at him in shock, but then you remembered his healing process. Noticing his little smirk, you wondered if you even need to take off your clothes or if he was just being the little shit he is. You stared at him expectedly, waiting for him to turn. "What?" He said slightly annoyed. 

"Turn around!" You demanded, spinning your finger around in emphasis. He sighed and turned, crossing his arms. 

_ Only Loki would be annoyed at the prospect of not seeing me strip.  _ You rolled your eyes and proceeded to gently take off your shirt, but the combination of your old and new wounds made you gasp in pain. Loki turned his head slightly, and you quickly pulled off your shirt the rest of the way, trying not to let him see your back. "Ok..." You slowly laid back down, careful not to hit any bruises and crossed your arms over your chest. He turned back around and surveyed over your new injuries with a slight scowl. He repeated the same process as before, this time over your entire body. As an added effect, he used his other hand to cool the burning sensation that the healing created. He finished and you let out a breath of relief, you were already feeling much better than before.

"I must check your back." He said. You tensed up again and sighed as you made a move to grab the shirt. "Without your shirt." He rolled his eyes once more. You hesitated. 

“I-...I can’t.” You shook your head. Loki narrowed his eyes.

“I cannot risk it, especially with your previous injuries. I must.” He insisted. You understood the situation. What if there was a problem and you were too stubborn to have him heal it? You took a deep breath. Slowly, you twisted around laying flat on your stomach. Ashamed, you turned your face away from him and squeezed your eyes shut. The air suddenly dropped in temperature. 

"Don't ask okay?" You clenched your jaw, hoping he would just continue. He said nothing for a moment, and you began to worry that he had left. Then, to your relief, you felt the now familiar burning sensation on your back then an icy hand trailing it, soothing the pain.

After the whole process, Loki silently went into the bathroom to change while you stayed in the room.

_ Does he think I'm repulsive now?  _ You began to panic.  _ What if he doesn't want me around anymore? What if he just decides to kill me? Because I'm-.  _ You shook the bad thoughts away and tried to focus on other things. You thought back to the night before. You frowned, remembering what Loki said right before you fell asleep. 'I wish it didn't have to be this way'. What did he mean? 

Too wrapped up in your thoughts, you began to change without a second thought. Right as you were in the midst of changing, Loki walked out of the bathroom. He stopped in his tracts. You noticed him and immediately covered yourself.

"LOKI DON'T LOOK!" You struggled and tried to quickly finish dressing.

"Ah, but why would I want to do that?" You could feel his presence behind you.

"B-Because I-I'm-." His arm wrapped around your waist. 

"L-Loki what are you-" He spun you around and locked you in a kiss. It was a mixture of desperate and gentle. His soft lips seemed to fit perfectly with yours and your heart pounded in your chest. Remembering who you were currently locking lips with, you broke the kiss. 

You stepped back and stared astonished at what had just occurred. Loki seemed just as surprised by his actions as you were, like he hadn’t even thought about it. . Suddenly, his expression changed to anger and he snatched his scepter and walked out the door. You stood there in shock. He just kissed you then up and left without saying a word?! You felt tears start to bubble up again.

_ How on earth can he sleep at night knowing he's hurt so many people, including the people who care for him? _ The tears poured over. Why was he so angry? Was it you? Will he come back? So many questions swam through your head. Your stomach suddenly lurched and you sprinted to the bathroom. 

After praying to the porcelain god for a few minutes you looked for a change of shirt. You frantically searched the dark oak dresser for a clean shirt. It was then that you realized that all your other clothes were dirty. Struggling with the choice of either sleeping in a soiled shirt, or forgoing one altogether, you decided on the latter. 

"I doubt Loki will be coming back soon. I guess... I'll just sleep with my bra." You said as you climbed into the large empty bed. As you laid there, waiting for sleep to claim you, you thought some more about what happened. Soon, you were in tears again, and this time not just because of what happened but because of the burning pain from the earlier healing. Since he healed everything this time, everything stung. You threw the covers off of you and walked over to the dresser again. You opened the drawer and searched until you found what you were looking for. 

You held the beautiful golden cuff in your hands, feeling its weight. You thought about what Loki said earlier, you could do whatever you wanted with his prized possession. You gazed down at it, knowing its worth, its meaning. But, even after everything he has done to you, you just couldn’t bring yourself to tarnish the golden memento. 

Slipping it back into its hiding place, you laid down onto the massive bed again, hoping to get a sliver of sleep. Feeling the burning grow more, you felt tears begin to well up again. But despite the pain, you cried yourself to sleep.

You awoke in the middle of the night to slight movement beside you. You turned over, completely forgetting the fact that you decided to wear a bra to bed instead of a shirt.

"Huh?" You felt an arm wrap around your waist and a cooling sensation on your back. You hummed in content at the soothing sensation as it temporarily reduced the burning pain. You opened your eyes to see Loki with a large grin staring at you. It took you longer than you care to admit to finally realize just how close he was. Your eyes widened and you sat up, turning away from him and pulled the covers up to your chest.

"Ah! L-Loki I didn't th-think you were coming back!" He just smiled wider and pulled you down to whisper in your ear.

"Deep down you knew I would return. That's why you didn't wear a shirt, isn't it?" You could feel his smile on your neck. 

"N-No that's not true!" You tried to protest but he just pulled you closer. You were now wrapped in a tight embrace with Loki. He was basically squeezing the life out of you. "L-Loki I can't breathe!" You said. He let go and you regained your breath. Loki looked at you and frowned. 

"Did you..... cry yourself to sleep?" He looked worried. You became scared, afraid he would reprimand you and lied.   
  


"No o-of course not, that would be childish." You tried to turn away but Loki stopped you.

"There is no need to lie. It's because of me, isn't it?” He paused and his voice dropped. “I'm sorry." __

_ Did he just apologize?  _ He wiped away the wet lines on your face. You were so confused, a feeling you had gotten quite used to with Loki.  _ Was he not mad anymore? Why did he storm out in the first place?  _ You took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to ask him.

__ "Loki, can I ask you a question?" He seemed caught off guard but nodded nonetheless 

"Why did you…” You paused, biting your lip. “Why did you kiss me?” You braced for an answer, but you realized once the words were out of your mouth, they wouldn’t stop. “I'm just… so  _ confused _ all the time. The past two years have been wonderful. We were getting along and I thought…. And then the attack on New York and when I came to see if you were alright, you attacked me! I woke up here in this strange place and you were healing me. It just didn’t make sense that after hurting me you were healing me. I was so scared and you said you ‘needed me’ and I….I let my guard down. Everything was so  _ cold. _ ” You felt his arms pull you fractionally closer. You felt fresh tears start to well up. Taking a shuddering breath, you continued. “Then you left me with  _ him _ ” The venom clear in your voice. “When you came back to see what had happened, you looked worried and I was confused again.” You let out a watery chuckle, “Your mood seemed to change instantly and once again you were back to cold and distant, like the past two years had never even happened. When you brought me back and healed me I was even more puzzled by you. You seemed to  _ care  _ again, just like that. I can’t ever tell if it's genuine and I'm always questioning myself.” Loki tensed like he wanted to say something, but he just let you go on.

“Then we made that deal and I didn’t know what to do. Everything seemed to be more and more confusing by the second. You were so confident and I was always in the dark. The food came and it felt like things were back to the way it was before.” You smiled lightly at the thought. “You helped me with the pain and it seemed like I could start to trust you just a bit again. But then you pulled that little stunt,” You smacked his arm lightly and you felt his light laugh. “You became so awful again and I was stuck. I saw you turn around and kiss that woman, and I was once again clueless. But, when I saw those arrows I still tried to help you, warn you, even though you just left me. Seeing you in danger made me nauseous and I was so afraid. More afraid than when Gideon attacked me again.” You clenched your fists against his chest as the dam finally broke and you felt hot tears stream down your already stained cheeks. “I was more sad that I knew you didn’t care for me. When the woman, Annora, beat him so easily I didn’t understand why you needed me when you had  _ her.  _ But you didn’t even acknowledge her and headed straight for  _ me. Why? _ But I saw so much emotion in your eyes, I didn’t even question it. Bringing me back here and caring for me, I was so sure that you had finally changed and that all my time spent with you had not been in vain. But then that kiss!” You shook your head. “That damned kiss made everything spin out of control again. You walked out so angrily that I thought you were never going to come back. I-I even thought about the cuff. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do anything to that beautiful piece.” You shook your head. “Any time there is a semblance of emotion it changes the next second and I never know what to expect. And… and I'm still so…. _ confused! _ ” You regretted everything as soon as you finished. You heaved a heavy breath as you quietly sobbed. You kept your head buried in his chest, afraid to look at him, afraid of his response.

_ “Silly girl, it was all a trick. A trick to manipulate you into loving me.”  _ You could hear him say the words in your head. He said nothing, and you mentally scolded yourself over and over again for saying all that.  _ Why did I say all that  _ ridiculous _ stuff?! He's a god for heaven's sake! He doesn’t need to explain anything to me. To him, I am just a little girl. I am nothi-. _

“Hey.” He said softly. Loki pulled you away from him and tilted your head up with his gentle hand. Looking up at him, you felt a new wave of tears bubble up to the surface and overflow. He looked at you so tenderly and you just melted into his arms. “I'm… I am truly sorry for everything I have done to you. I thought I knew what I wanted. I was ready to do anything to achieve that and then… you came along.” He smiled softly and your heart did a somersault. “I was overwhelmed by your power and I thought that I could change your mind and use it for my own selfish purposes. But you are so stubborn and you were determined to change mine instead.” You and him laughed together. “Every day, you came in to talk with me and every day I was looking forward to it more and more. You are the only Midgardian whose company I enjoy.” Loki’s smile faded and he sighed. “When the opportunity arose I escaped, but there was no way I was going to leave you. I told myself that it was because you would be useful, that the pull I had to you was for your power. But,” There was a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. “I soon realized why I was truly drawn to you.” You gazed up at him again, not understanding his words. He chuckled and shook his head. “You silly, beautiful, blind girl. You’re too desirable for your own good.” You were shocked.

_ Does he mean…? _ Your head was swimming with thoughts. Still curious, you asked,

“Why did you storm out of the room after we kissed?” Loki clenched his jaw.

“This entire time, I kept telling myself that love is a weakness. But after encountering you my heart betrayed my mind, and after the kiss” He paused and looked away from you. “I scolded myself for falling in love with you.” Your heart swelled and you couldn't believe it.

Loki smirked and wiped away your tears. He cupped your face and his eyes darted to your lips. His thumb brushed over the soft flesh and your breath hitched. Looking at you once more like he was asking for permission. Your eyes widened but you nodded ever so slightly. Then, as if the world was in slow motion, his lips brushed yours ever so slightly.

Everything seemed to melt away and the only thing in the world was him. He began to pull back but you reached up and pulled him in again. Surprised, you felt him smile against your lips. You dug your fingers in his soft black locks as he deepened the kiss. Your mind went blank and the only thing you could focus on was the heat of his mouth against yours. Unfortunately, you were running out of air and you had to break the kiss. Loki rested his head against yours, you could feel his breath on your skin. You laid there for a moment, not wanting to open your eyes to savor the moment. 

Finally, you opened your eyes to see the man you have longed for smiling down at you with that unfamiliar emotion in his eyes. Your breath hitched and you felt a lump in your throat. You then realized the emotion was love and you couldn’t help but tear up. 

“What wrong, my love?” Loki frowned. You let out a mixture of a sob and a laugh at his words. 

“Nothing, I'm just happy is all.” You wiped away your tears which seemed like the millionth time, and you thought about what Loki said about ‘love being a weakness’. You shook your head. 

"Loki, love is not a weakness. In fact, many people believe it's a strength.” You traced the hem of his shirt. “When you love someone, you fight for them and they make you stronger.” You poked him. “And if you're really lucky, they'll fight beside you." You looked up at Loki, he had the biggest smile on his stupid face and you smiled too. No longer afraid or doubtful of Loki, you knew it was going to be all uphill from here. He suddenly leaned in and locked you in a kiss again. This time you didn't pull away. You knew he truly meant it and you were overjoyed. 

"I told you I needed you." Loki smirked.

You stared at each other for a moment, not breaking the moment, till you felt the pain start to flare up again. You cringed and laid your head on his chest, the now-familiar cooling feeling enveloping your body. You jolted when you felt a hand trace the large ugly scars on your back.

You laid in silence, but you knew he wanted to ask, to know what happened. You couldn’t blame him. If you saw something like this on him you would want to know too. It was a matter of time before Loki just couldn’t take it anymore. 

"(Y/n).....Who did this to you?" Loki said with a hint of anger in his voice. You stayed silent for a while, there was still a little part of you that had hoped he wouldn't ask. There was no point in lying. You took a deep breath, remembering.

"When I was 18, I was sold to Hydra for experiments by my foster dad. They… did all sorts of things to me. That's how i got my power in the first place. I was eventually rescued by the Avengers." You smiled at the thought of your friends. "I was taken to S.H.I.E.L.D to recover and that's when they told me I would have these scars for life. I never wanted anyone to see them. That's why I was so against you seeing my back. I was afraid that you might think there was something else wrong with me......" You whispered, unsure of what he might do next.

"Else?” He brushed your hair away from your face. “(Y/n) you are absolutely perfect the way you are. I promise you I will never let anyone harm you again." You looked up at him and saw a glimpse of that now-familiar emotion in his eyes. You let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.

_ I never thought I would find love with my body being marred the way it is. But I guess that's Loki for you, the God of Surprises. _

He stroked your hair and you fell asleep in Loki's loving arms. And for the first time since you've been here, you slept without any fear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed posting. Keeping up with online work is exhausting :( Anywho, here is another lovely chapter for those of you who are still reading. Love ya'll!

You woke the next morning to Loki trying to sneak out of the bed without waking you. It clearly hadn't worked. You pulled him back down and buried your face in his chest as you did before. He tensed up a little then relaxed. You figured he wasn't used to being wanted. The thought just made you hug him tighter. You could feel him lightly playing with your hair. 

"I have to leave soon." Loki broke the silence. "I don't think I can hold back any longer." 

"Don't leave me here by myself again," You mumbled, "plus I'm hungry." Loki stopped playing with your hair and lifted your chin to look at him.

"Then come with me." He said smiling. Your eyes widened. 

"Really, you mean I can go with you?" You asked.

"Why not? I'm quite certain you won't leave." He laughed. You blushed, realizing he was right. You felt excited to finally leave the room for a reason other than to be tortured. You jumped out of bed and stretched.

"My, my, it seems you  _ want _ me to lose control." Loki sat up.

"Huh?" You turned around to face him and his devilish grin. He then gestured at you scantily clothed form and you realized that you were still only in a bra.

"OH MY GOD!" You covered your chest and ran to the bathroom. Suddenly, some clothes appeared on the floor. You sighed in relief, forgetting to grab clothes in your rush. 

"I'll be waiting outside." Loki said. You could hear his smirk. You heard the door shut, signaling his exit from the room.

After taking a shower, you inspected the clothes Loki magicked up for you. Picking up the shirt you saw that it was a beautiful emerald green blouse that had a deep v-neck and choker. The pants thankfully were plain black leggings that hugged your figure quite well. You hummed in approval of the outfit, except for one aspect.

"Geez are all guys this perverted?" You looked in the mirror and saw what he gave you showed a lot more cleavage than you would like. You laughed at the thought of Stark giving Pepper something like this.

A few minutes later, you put the finishing touches on your hair and makeup and you went to open the door until a thought struck you. You walked over to the dresser and opened the drawer that served as your makeshift hiding spot. Shifting the clothes to uncover the cuff, you pulled it out and examined the jewelry once more.

_ I wonder?  _ You stroked the embedded jewels and you felt the sudden urge to slip it on. As soon as the cool metal set on your skin it seemed to mold and shape itself to fit you perfectly, and you smiled. It felt  _ right.  _

Finally finished, you looked one last time in the mirror. Looking at the cuff, you noticed how it seemed to bring the entire outfit together quite nicely. Excited to see what Loki had in-store, you turned to exit the room. Suddenly, you stopped in your tracks. You could faintly hear the low murmur of voices just outside the door, right where Loki was waiting for you. You approached the door and leaned against it to listen and try to make out the conversation.

"Why do you even need her? She’ll just get in the way! I can control the elements, that includes fire!" You heard a woman say. You recognized that voice, it was Annora.

"Don't ever underestimate (Y/n). She is stronger than you think and much stronger than you. You are my pawn and she is my queen. Don't ask again, understand?" Loki said firmly. You heard a huff and what sounded like her storming away. You took the chance and opened the door. 

"Loki?" You were greeted by Loki leaning against the wall. He smiled and held out his hand. You saw the faintest hint of anger flit across his features before he set his sights on you. 

"Come with me, there is something I would like for you to see." You took his hand and he paused. Startled, he gazed down at his gift that rested on your wrist and stroked it lightly with his thumb. He looked back up at you and nodded with his head and he led you down the hallway. 

Throughout your small amount of time here you haven’t had the chance to really study the mysterious place you were in. Taking in your surroundings, you noticed the walls were a light beige color and they looked to be made from concrete blocks. Looking down, you observed the very same floor that you had been dragged on by Gideon. Subconsciously, you moved closer to Loki beside you. Taking your mind off the memory, you ran your hand over the groves in the wall and noticed that they did not have the same spell put on them as the other rooms you have been in. Experimentally, you tried to conjure up a small flame in the palm of your hand. You were delighted to feel the familiar warmth that pooled in your hand as the flame stretched and flickered. Knowing you were no longer powerless made you relax as you continued to follow wherever Loki guided you. Soon the hallway opened up as he led you right. Setting your sights upward, you took note that the windows were up higher, but they still let plenty of light into the corridor. 

_ At least they are not barred. _ You noted. Not paying attention to Loki, you nearly crashed headfirst into a door before he stopped you. 

“Sorry.” You laughed sheepishly before noting the entrance that you almost bruised your nose against and you took a step back in awe. You had stopped in front of large wooden double doors that looked a hundred years only. Staring in awe at the handcrafted carvings, you traced them lightly. 

"Close your eyes." You ceased marveling at the door and did as you were told. Loki covered your eyes so you wouldn't peek. You felt the door open and Loki nudged you inside. After he led you to a specific place, he let go and you were left alone. Getting nervous, you relaxed as Loki finally said to open your eyes. You gasped. Loki had set you right in the middle of the biggest library you have ever seen. 

"Oh. My. God." There were bookshelves from the floor to all the way to the ceiling, which was about 3 stories high. You stood in shock at the beauty of the library around you. Everything seemed to glow in the sunlight that streamed in from the massive glass dome that served as the ceiling. 

"You called?" Loki snaked his arms around you. Your face turned bright red. 

"N-Not you!" You stuttered. He smiled and let go so you could explore.

You explored the nearest shelf and ran your hands over the spines of the books. A large book with gold lining caught your eye and you stopped to slide it out. The title was 'Norse Mythology'. You went to open the book when suddenly Loki took the book from you and hid it behind his back. 

"Hey, give it back! I wanna know about your history!" You demanded. Loki smiled uncomfortably and gestured to the wide-open space of the library. 

“My dear, there are hundreds of other books to discover here. I believe there are even a few books written about you and the Avengers." He motioned toward a smaller shelf nearby, on which you recognized a few books with the symbol of the Avengers. You momentarily forgot about the one book that intrigued you so, as you thought about the possibility. 

"Are you serious? A book about me?" You hurried over to the shelf. There really  _ was  _ a book about you in particular. There seemed to be a collection of books all together about each of the Avengers. Grabbing the book imprinted with your name, you sat down at the nearest table. You internally smiled knowing he knew there were books about you and where they were kept.

Loki sighed in relief. He couldn't destroy the book, so he cloaked it as another title and replaced it on the shelf. He then lifted a book he had not yet finished off its shelf and sat across from you.

~

"That was crazy accurate." You shut the book that detailed your missions and powers, slightly uncomfortable at the knowledge it possessed. Looking over at Loki, you saw he paid no attention to your comment, he was deep in a book just as you were. You stared at him, taking in his features. His long raven hair, high cheekbones, and even the serene expression he had while reading. 

_ How does a person so handsome have the desire to destroy a whole city? _ You pondered as you peered at him more. His broad chest and relaxed posture, it made you smile. It made you happy, seeing him in such a content state instead of the rage-filled heartbroken one you encountered the first time you met him. But one of the most alluring parts of him was his beautifully enchanting green eyes. His lashes were long, a feature you’d only gotten to notice since you were no longer intimidated by looking him in the eyes. The way he’d smile and laugh and they’d shine. You were transfixed by him, but you were suddenly snapped out of your thoughts when the wooden doors were violently pushed open. 

"Loki Laufeyson, your assistance is required in the dungeon." You heard Annora say in a monotone voice. 

_Of course she would make an entrance like that just to be so nonchalant._ You couldn’t help but laugh slightly as Loki didn't look up from his book.

"Handle it." He waved his hand signaling for her to leave. She turned to you and the look she threw you could poison rivers. You involuntarily shuddered when you thought about how easily she took down Gideon.

"Umm, Loki, I think you should go with her. It seems urgent." Her gaze was like ice. Loki sighed and closed his book. 

_ I wonder what's in the dungeon?  _ You couldn’t help but be curious. Loki stood and extended his hand. 

"Come on, I'll show you." Surprised, you took his hand and stood with him. 

_ Did he just read my mind? _ You panicked slightly.  _ Has he been reading my mind the whole time?  _ Your face reddened slightly at the thought. 

After a few flights of stairs, and an occasional glare from Annora, you stopped in front of a massive metal door. This door was nothing like the door in which S.H.I.E.L.D held Loki, this one was much larger and much thicker with an arch at the top. You guessed it was about 20 feet wide. The arch added extra height so it seemed to never end. You looked up at the top, your mouth hanging wide open. Annora had her arms crossed, flaunting her elemental tattoo, and kept her stare. 

"Close your mouth or a chimera will snatch your tongue." Loki smirked. You shut your mouth and looked at the ground to hide your blush. You could hear Annora growl beside Loki. 

_ What is her problem? _ You then remembered the kiss she shared with Loki in the garden and you understood.

_ She is jealous.  _ You couldn’t help but feel slightly bad for the woman. You knew what it was like when you thought he didn’t care for you at all, you were heartbroken. 

"Annora open the door, I haven't all day to fix your problems." Loki said firmly. She took out a large intricate key that opened the door and slid it into the lock. You heard a series of clicks before you and Loki stepped inside. 

As soon as you set foot in the room, you were greeted with a thunderous roar, which promptly landed you on your bottom.

"Oww... What the hell was that?!" You groaned and Loki was at your side immediately.

“Are you alright, my love?” You nodded as he helped you up from the cold stone floor. Brushing yourself off, you didn't even bother to look at Annora, already feeling her eyes boring into the back of your head. Instead, you looked up and you saw the most surprising thing yet. Craning your neck upward to the impossibly tall ceiling, you gasped at the sight in front of you. You stood there, dumbfounded, at the foot of a humongous dragon. It was chained to the wall with each chain link at least a foot thick. You watched as the beautifully terrifying beast raised its front foot and stomp it back to the ground and let out another defining roar, the vibrations threatening to send you back to the ground. 

"He won't calm down sir, he seems to be riled up by something...... or someone." You heard a new voice say. You turned to the unfamiliar voice and lit a fire in your hands, feeling its powerful warmth in the palm of your hand. 

"Who are you?!" You demanded. The man in front of you stumbled backward. He was about your age and had short wavy brown hair. He was tall and you saw he had gold eyes, an unusual feature. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down lady!" The man held up his hands in defense. You extinguished the flame in your hand and apologized. 

"I'm so sorry, it was just a reflex!" The man regained balance and stared at you for a moment, till he stepped towards you. Now that he was no longer a threat, you had to admit, he was extremely handsome.

"Don't worry, I can't stay mad at such a beautiful woman like you." The guy winked and you laughed awkwardly. 

_ He sort of reminds me of Stark _ . You looked and saw the man smiling at you even though you had just threatened to turn him to ash. He had a white smile that could melt hearts, definitely a playboy. The next moment, Loki pinned the man against the wall before he could react. 

“If you ever speak to her like that again, I'll rip out your tongue. Do you understand me mortal?" The man’s eyes were wide with fear as he nodded vigorously and Loki let him go. Your eyes widened at the sight. 

_ I never knew Loki was the jealous type _ . You shook off your surprise and rushed to the man's side.

"Are you alright?" You asked as he brushed himself off. 

"Yeah, thanks." You glared at Loki. He only scowled and turned away. Suddenly, the dragon gave out a large roar that shook the ground, obviously not taking kindly to being ignored. Caught off guard, you stumbled and Loki caught you. He smirked and you blushed for like the 5th time today. Annora cleared her throat. 

"Well as Dimitri was saying, Narith won't calm down." She crossed her arms and nodded towards the huge beast that you almost forgot was there. You stood straight and stared at the beast. It was black with a deep purple chest and belly, it’s scales shimmered in the light making them look like pieces of obsidian all across its body. The large wings tucked behind its back were outstretched and you could see they were a lighter purple. The animal was clearly agitated, slightly pacing and its head looking around nervously. Then, sensing you study it, it turned its head and looked straight at you. You looked into its eyes and saw confusion and curiosity, as well as anger. Peering into the eyes of the beast, you walked towards it in a trance.

_ What a wonderful creature. What could be wrong? _ You were desperate to help, to soothe its frustration. Lost in the trance of the dragon, you couldn't hear the man, Dimitri, and Loki telling you it's not safe. 

You soon stood at the foot of the massive monster and studied it. Its rough scaly skin looked impenetrable and its talons were as long as your whole arm. Unfazed, you stepped closer, now an arm's length away. So mesmerized by the unknown creature, you didn't hear Loki yelling and rapid footsteps behind you. 

You reached out and placed your hand on the dark black scales, the rough material shifted against your skin. Feeling the dragon move, you looked up. The dragon's face was now just a few feet away from yours. You could feel its hot breath on your face, also studying you. It peered at you curiously, no longer agitated or angry only intrigued by the little brave human. YOu lifted your other hand to reach out to touch the dragon’s nose. It was coarse and warm, and you smiled. Suddenly, the dragon opened its mouth. You retracted your hand and saw that it was yawning. Its head landed roughly next to you, and you almost fell as the ground shook. Now trapped between its head and body, you reached out and touched the dark purple horns in front of you. They were smooth in contrast to the rest of its body and you gently stroked them. You smiled as you saw the dragon's eyes close. You then laid against the beasts' large head and stroked its face. 

"You're nothing but a big baby, huh?" You smiled as you looked back at Annora and Dimitri. Both of them were astonished. You turned toward Loki who was on the opposite side of the dragon's head. He had his scepter pointed at the dragon's neck, his lips formed into a slight smile.

“Look at that." Loki lowered his scepter.

"She's really something special isn't she?" Annora scoffed, her shock now replaced with annoyance. 

"Yeah..... she's amazing." Dimitri gaped.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Back at Stark Tower, the Avengers were having a heated argument. 

"We should go look for her! We can't just assume she ran away!" Natasha yelled. 

"Nat, calm down. I know you two were close, but all the facts point to it. I know it's hard bu-." Clint was cut off by Thor.

"I agree with Natasha. She is not a person who would run off without saying goodbye. The first moment she was fighting alongside me, protecting us, and the next moment she's gone. I don't think we should dismiss the probability of kidnapping." Thor said.

"Kidnapping?! You mean to tell me someone kidnapped (Y/n) and didn't get burned to ashes?" Stark was furious. Pepper ran her hand over his arm to calm him before he smashed something.

"Bruce, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Clint asked.

"Well, I think that we should still look for her but on the other hand, a new member would be a nice change. Plus it's not really our choice in the matter, remember the council is the one who found her." Bruce responded reluctantly. 

"I agree with Bruce here. It's not our choice in the matter anyway, the council decided that we needed another member to replace (Y/n)." Steve said sadly.

"She is not a replacement for (Y/n), she will come back!" Thor yelled. The room became awkwardly quiet, till Steve broke the silence.

"Stark, you were the last one to see her. What did she say to you after disappearing?" He asked, turning to the smaller man.

  
“It was after I was knocked out of the air. She came rushing over to me. And after I asked J.A.R.V.I.S if there were any weak spots in the huge beast when he mentioned that it was headed towards-." Stark stopped mid-sentence, " Loki you little  _ shit _ !" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know any reactions to the new character ;) What do you think is going to happen? Also, feel free to comment any other reactions you have! I absolutely love reading what you guys have to say and it honestly gives me so much motivation.


	11. Chapter 11

After Loki helped you out of the enormous dragon’s embrace, you both returned to his room. The whole walk was silent, you were still reeling from the whole dragon thing. As soon as you entered the room it struck you that it was already dark, you hadn't even noticed you were so engrossed in your thoughts. You went directly to the bed and flopped heavily on it. Loki laughed softly. 

“You are marvelous, you know that?” He set down his scepter and you jolted up, embarrassed. 

“A-And why would you say that?” You asked, flustered. Loki turned to you with a smile. 

“Because you never cease to amaze me.” He looked at you so intensely you could feel your cheeks heating up. You nervously fiddled with the bracelet which brought Loki’s attention to it. You realized that the bracelet is not actually yours and you eased it off your wrist. You were taken aback at the sudden and utter feeling of loss as you took it off. It was unnaturally hard to part with the bracelet, but you knew that it did not belong to you and you had no right to it. 

“Here, I just didn’t want to leave it in the room, in case someone would steal it.” You lied. There was no way in hell you were going to tell him that you only wore it so you could have something of his. “Here, you can take it back. I trust you and I would never do anything to damage something so important to you.” You held it out to him. He seemed to stare at the object for a moment before shaking his head. 

“Keep it, it's yours.” You were shocked. There was no way he was actually letting you keep this priceless gift.

“No, I can’t take this, it belongs to you!” You held it out to him once more. Amused, he stared at you for a moment before taking the jewelry in your outstretched hand. Sighing in relief, you stood up from the bed to get ready for the night. But before you reached the dresser for clothes you were stopped by Loki. 

Suddenly, his arms were blocking your field of vision and a necklace dangled in front of you. You gasped. 

“Wha-?” It was beautiful. On a silver chain was what looked like two snakes intertwined together to form an ‘S’, connecting at the tails. One snake was gold and the other was emerald green, both snakes had emeralds for eyes. The necklace was mesmerizing and you watched as it laid to rest on your chest. You felt him behind you as he clasped the chain on your neck. The feeling of loss was immediately lifted and you took a deep breath, it felt good to have it back. You lifted the pendant to further examine it and it was heavy and large, taking up all of the four fingers that held it. Loki’s arms, no pun intended, snaked around your hips and you feel his breath right next to your ear. 

“Now, it belongs to you.” You were speechless. The fact that he had completely transformed his mother’s gift to give to you made your heart twinge. You spun to look at him and he released you. 

“Loki, but it was your mother’s.” You looked at him, searching for any sign of sadness or regret, but the only thing you saw was adoration. 

“I think my mother would approve.” He smiled at you and you hugged him tightly, leaning back to kiss him. Your lips melded together and all seemed right in the world. You separated and looked at the jewelry again, admiring the beauty. Suddenly, a powerful yawn overtook you and you dropped the pendant back to your chest to cover your mouth. You realized that it really was late and you had to get ready for bed. Loki seemed to understand and you wandered over to the dresser to pick out your PJs. Noticing the obvious lack of clothes you sighed. 

“Lokiiiiiiiiii, I need more clothes." You looked over your shoulder and saw that he was already shirtless. Turning back quickly, your face flushed. Loki laughed softly and strode over to you and you felt arms wrap around your waist again. 

"Well, well, it seems you must go and retrieve more clothes from your Midgardian home. Or......You could just not wear clothes at all." He smirked and it felt like your face was on fire. Used to his little games by now, you decided to play along.

"You would like for me to prance around naked in front of Annora and Dimitri, hmm? You must be extremely confident that he won't make a move." You couldn’t see his face but you could feel the annoyance rolling off of him. 

"Absolutely not. If you do choose to stay....unclothed... you shall never leave this room. No one shall lay their eyes on you except me." He finished with a devilish grin. He lowered his face to your neck and your breath hitched as you felt him place feather-light kisses on your exposed collar. Your eyes fluttered closed, then you ran your mind over what he said.

"Wait, Loki, did you just say I could go home?" His face changed expressions and you could feel his jaw clenching. 

"Yes. I feared that one day you may hate me if I wouldn't let you visit home at least once." Loki pulled away from you and you turned to him. 

"Oh Loki, thank you so much!” You leaned over and kissed him again, now becoming a routine you did not want to give up.” Pulling away, you smiled. “Besides, I could never hate you." He rolled his eyes at that and laughed. He stepped away and you admired his muscles as he reached for his shirt again. 

“I know that it is late, but I believe that this would be the best time to travel unnoticed.” You nodded, not wanting him to get arrested and sent off to Aguard for God knows what. 

_ Besides, I'm not tired after  _ that. You subconsciously touched the spot where Loki had just been. He grabbed his trusty scepter and you held his hand out to you.

"Whenever you are ready." Loki held his scepter. You took a deep breath. Grabbing onto him, you braced yourself.

"Okay, I'm ready." 

The next moment you felt dizzy, happy and queasy all at the same time, definitely not a good combination. After what felt like a lifetime, but was in reality only a few moments, the feelings subsided and you opened your eyes. You stood in your small studio apartment, just as you left it before your mission. 

"It's good to be home, even if it's just for a little while." You turned to Loki and smiled. "Thank you." 

"So these are your chambers,” Loki bumped into the tiny table in the corner where you liked to work, “quite small I must say." You laughed at that.

"Well, saving the world doesn't really pay much money." You looked out the window to the city of New York. "It's a pretty good job though, I really wouldn't trade it for anything." Pulling your gaze from the window, you walked over to your closet and searched for your large suitcase. Pulling the teal luggage out, you began the process of packing clothes and personal items. You grabbed most of your clothes and a few other things such as your favorite earrings and your laptop. You paused, not knowing if there was even Wi-Fi where you were staying, but decided to bring the laptop just in case. Suddenly, you heard voices engaged in very loud arguing next door. 

_ I've never had neighbors on that side before. Must have moved in recently.  _ You shrugged and kept packing.

"What was that?" Loki pointed his scepter at the wall that separates you from the newfound neighbors. 

"Probably just the neighbors arguing over someth-" Suddenly, you heard the voices rise and there seemed to be a struggle. You shot up immediately when you heard the sound of glass shattering and then a gunshot. 

You whipped around to Loki, he was eyeing the wall as he raised his scepter, waiting for any sign of harm.

"Stay here, if anything happens, hide. I can't have you arrested again." You knew it was probably not the best idea but you couldn’t just sit there and do nothing after what you heard. You left the suitcase, opened the door and turned down the hallway to stop the next door down.

"Hello? Is anyone hurt? I heard a gunshot." You waited for a response. Nothing.

_ What am I expecting? Oh, hi! I just shot someone, come right in! _

"Hello?" You tried again, then you heard a low groan. You stepped back and kicked the lock on the door, it didn't budge. You were just thinking about melting the lock on the door before Loki walked out of your apartment. "Bad God. I thought I told you to stay." You sighed, then you were struck with an idea. "Since you are here, can you  _ gently  _ blast the door open? I don't wanna burn the whole apartment building down." Loki raised an eyebrow but aimed his scepter at the door. His arm recoiled back as a blast of light burst through the door. 

_ Why did I think he could do anything gently?  _ You then peered into the room. You stepped over the remains of the wooden door before scanning your surroundings. You looked around the almost identical apartment and saw that there were furniture and cabinets broken and a table turned over, glass littering the floor from what looked like beer bottles. You waved your hand to clear some of the smoke and that's when you saw her. In the right corner was a girl, about the same age as you, holding her side. Her clothes were stained with blood and she was mumbling under her breath. Surprisingly, it struck you that she looked familiar. 

"Oh my god, are you alright?!" You ran over and kneeled next to the girl, she had wavy light brown hair that reached down past her shoulders. It was matted and you noticed that around her neck was a necklace with a little rectangle. You couldn’t get over the fact that she looked so familiar. As you touched her shoulder she jerked and looked up, her eyes widened and she stared straight at Loki. "Are you okay? What happened here?" The girl turned her head to you and she seemed to be studying you. The next moment her jaw dropped in surprise. Then in a blink of an eye, she disappeared.

"What the hell? She just vanished!" searched for any sign of her. She literally just disappeared right in front of you! Out of the corner of your eye, you spied a small mouse, slow and bleeding. 

_ The poor thing probably got hurt in all of the ruckus.  _ It scurried into the hallway and left. Then, you heard the unmistakable sounds of sirens approaching outside. 

"I think we should go now (Y/n)." Loki urged. You shook your head and resumed looking for the girl. 

"Where did she go? She couldn’t have disappeared into thin air, and she was hurt. I think she was the one who was shot, we can't just leave!" You frantically lifted a piece of wood that had splintered off of what looked like a nearby cabinet, desperate to help the girl. As you went to lift a piece of glass, it slipped and cut the side of your hand which left a large gash.

"OWW! Crap!" You held your hand as Loki rushed over. 

"We must leave, I'm sorry." He grabbed your waist roughly and you once again felt queasy and dizzy but this time you felt pain, the last thing you saw was Loki's concerned face before you passed out.

~During your time unconscious, you had a dream about the Avengers.

You were at Stark Tower again, this time it was dead silent. You looked down and you were in your Avengers battle suit. The tower was still intact and there was no sign there was an attack until suddenly, the ground shook violently from a roar.

"Wait... that sounds familiar." You ran to the large window in the kitchen. And to your surprise, it was the massive mother Bildshnipe. You didn’t see any other beasts around which meant that you could focus on the mother monster. As if it heard you, it turned and looked directly at you standing in the Stark Tower. As it started to head your way, you prepared to fight, but before you could attack the beast it's head jerked upwards as if something uppercut it's jaw. It growled and swiped at the air. You were shocked to see Stark fly right in front of it and blasted it with his repulsor rays, scorching its fur. You heard the familiar sound of a jet and leaned against the window to look up. It was a massive jet that Natasha piloting and Clint hanging on the side with the open door. He notched an arrow and let it fly, blinding the beast momentarily as it exploded on contact. You saw Clint nod and a giant mass of green and blue fly through the air.

"Banner and Steve are here too?!" You said excitedly.

After a savage beating from all the Avengers combined, the massive monster toppled to the ground with an Earth-shaking thud. You leaned on a table till the shaking ceased. After the dust cleared, you peered down to see all of your best friends in a circle, protecting each other. You cheered and jumped up and down at their amazing victory and thought how much you missed them all.~ 

You were suddenly jolted awake by someone. 

"(Y/n)! (Y/n), wake up!" You groaned and sat up. You stretched and yawned, your vision cleared and you saw Dimitri sitting on your bed next to you. You could see his beautiful golden eyes clouded with worry. "Are you alright," He asked, concerned, "you are crying." You lifted your hand and he was right, you had been crying. The dream made you realize how much you really had missed your friends.

"Ugh yeah, I'm fine." You went to wipe the tears with your left hand when you felt a sharp pain, "Oww, my hand!" You saw your hand was wrapped in bandages.

"Here let me see." Dimitri took your hand and your heart fluttered at his touch. He unwrapped it slowly and gently. After it was fully unwrapped, you could see the gash clearly. You gasped at the size of it, it went from the base of your index finger to a little below your wrist, it was really red and it stung like hell. "I think I might be infected. I think we should clean it and put new bandages on it." He suggested.

"I think there's a First Aid kit in the bathroom." He held his hand out to you and you took it. But as you got up, your vision went black and you felt dizzy. You were falling till you could feel strong arms wrap around you. Your (E/C) eyes met glimmering gold ones as you and Dimitri were centimeters apart. You sucked in a breath as you realized Dimitri was holding your injured hand.

"Oh sorry.....here." He lifted it and kissed the gash gently while looking straight at you. Your face immediately turned a deep crimson red. Suddenly, the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was a very furious Loki Laufeyson. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (・｀ω´・)
> 
> Comment your thoughts and reactions! I love reading all of them, they really make my day!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are too kind. Over a 1000 hits? I never thought that my story would get so much attention. Thank you all!

_ Oh no. _

You could see the color drain off Dimitri's face. He set you up straight and you held your injured hand carefully. You and Dimitri both took a step away from each other subconsciously. You looked at Loki and you immediately regretted it, he was utterly furious. You went to tell Loki the mistake when Dimitri beat you to it. 

"S-Sir! I was ju-" Before he could even finish his sentence Loki had him pinned to the wall, knocking down the lamp that rested on the bedside table. You jumped back in surprise. 

"Give me a reason not to kill you right now Midgardian." Loki threatened, his eyes murderous. Dimitri’s eyes flicked past him at you. You see he was terrified at what Loki would do. 

"W-Well I don't think you want to do that in front of (Y/n) here." Dimitri gasped for breath. It then hit you that he might actually kill him right there. You had to intervene.

"Loki, wait, let him go! He was only trying to help me!" You reached out, "He meant no harm. Loki, please." Loki stood for a moment, contemplating what to do. Suddenly, Loki's grip on Dimitri tightened.

"I no longer need your services. You will leave immediately. I swear by the Nine Realms if I ever see you again, I will kill you. Do you understand?" Loki said to him lowly. You watched as Dimitri nodded and Loki let him go. He dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Loki pointed his scepter at him as he scrambled up and out the door. You let out a breath you had no idea you were even holding and slid down onto the bed. When you looked up you saw a very furious Loki pacing.

"Loki I-" You had started to explain when Loki cut you off.

"I don't want to hear it (Y/n)! I've had enough of this nonsense! I knew I was wrong to even  _ try _ loving you." Loki flicked his wrist and the door opened. 

"Wait, Loki, don't leave!" But I was too late, Loki slammed the door and you heard the click of the lock. "It was a misunderstanding. I would never..." You put your head in your hands and the sting in your hand became worse. "Please, don't leave me." You took a deep breath and your head fell onto the wall. 

You sat there on the bed as you tried to hold back tears, but you knew you couldn’t stop them from flowing freely down your face. 

_ Of course, as soon as I find something good in my life it is gone just as fast. Just like everything else.  _ You shook your head and thought about how you got to this exact moment. 

You had a happy childhood with loving parents, then your mother left and your father turned to a drink instead of caring for his daughter. The moment the Hydra agent told your father how much you were worth, you were sold like livestock. The tests and the experiments left you broken and burned and you thought you would die there. Then the Avengers came to save you but S.H.I.E.L.D deemed you too dangerous to be released, so you were kept hidden from the world. Then Dr. Helen, the wonderful woman, suggested that you could be a part of the Avengers and help save the world. Things began to look up from there, you had a family again. Then Loki was thrown into the mix and your world shifted again, but you soon came to like, and eventually love, the mischievous god. But of course, that took a turn for the worse when he escaped and kidnapped you. It was hell, but Loki in time showed his true feelings and you were so happy to have someone to be with. 

You laughed weakly, because that ended too. You clenched your jaw as you remembered your surroundings. Coming back from your thoughts, you noticed the dull throb of your injury. You wiped away your silly tears with your good hand and stood up. You started to the bathroom to clean and bandage your hand when you heard the door open.

"All alone now are we? No other men you’ve seduced to come and wipe your tears for you, thieving whore?!" You snapped your head up to see who had spoken. 

"A-Annora? What are you talking about, why are you here?" Taken aback by her words you were about to see who the hell she was talking to, but her expression made all the words die in your throat. Her face showed uncontrollable anger, you had yet to see her like this and it terrified you. You knew just how powerful she was and you thought back to her words. Loki wasn’t here and by the look on her face, you were quite certain that she might actually hurt you. She took a few steps into the room and you stepped backward. 

"You are not the only one who Loki pays special attention to. Before you came," Annora seethed, her regal demeanor long gone now replaced with pure malice, "Loki loved  _ me _ , he taught  _ me  _ magic and spent all his time preparing his army. But after you and your Avengers took him away from me, he changed! He's become soft! It's all your fault.” She sneered, her blond locks falling in her face. “And  _ Dimitri _ . After you stole Loki, I thought I'd settle for him. But now you have him wrapped around your little finger too!” Then, like a flash of lightning, her expression changed. “I am going to really enjoy making you pay. For all of it." Annora smiled as she crept closer. Your hands shot up as you conjured a flame in your palm, prepared to fight if she tried to harm you. 

Annora simply tilted her head and laughed at you. She clicked her tongue and flicked her wrist towards you. Not a moment later, you felt as if all the air around you had been vacuumed out. 

"A-Annora," You gasped for breath, "I-I can't b-breathe!" You brought your arm up to defend yourself and burn her with your flame, but nothing happened. With no oxygen to feed off of, your flame was snuffed out in an instant. You scrambled back and fell on to the floor. Clawing out, you tried as if you could somehow grasp the air you so desperately needed. Your hands fell and your vision began to darken at the edges. She looked down at you and dug her heel into the gash in your hand. You tried to scream but it came out like a choked gasp. 

"I control  _ all  _ the elements, that includes air," Annora grinned like she was having the time of her life. She leaned down further and her grin was replaced with an ice-cold glare, "Now you know how I felt all this time. To have your very livelihood stripped from you like nothing." You reached out to the door, hoping Loki would step through and save you. But as your vision went black, the only face you saw was Annora's.

You shot up from the bed and gasped sharply.

"I-I'm alive?" You frantically looked around and saw you were still in the same spot when Loki left you. You began to relax when you realized it was only a dream. Suddenly, you felt a tremor beneath you, like something large had fallen. It only lasted a second, but it seemed odd. You soon forgot about it as you spied the toppled lamp. Which means the part with Loki and Dimitri was real. You took another deep breath, this time slower. Now out of ‘fight or flight mode’ you unclenched your hands and noticed there was no longer any pain. You raised your hand to inspect it and found the large gash was gone. Staring at your hands, you twitched and a tiny flame flickered to life. Finding comfort in the warmth of the fire in your hand, your mind wandered to your dream.

_ Why on Earth did I dream of Annora killing me?  _ You thought back to all the times you caught her glaring or scowling at you.  _ Ah, that might be why.  _ You flopped back onto the bed and covered your eyes with your arm.  _ I wonder if all the things I dreamt about her and Loki are true?  _ You felt a sudden surge of jealousy at the thought, then you laughed.  _ Yeah, like I suddenly know everything about her even though she has only said a single sentence to me.  _ Your smile faded from your face as you remembered Loki’s last words to you. 

_ “I knew it was wrong to even  _ try  _ loving you.”  _ Your heart twinged painfully at his words and you squeezed your eyes shut. Your other hand reached up to clutch your shirt over your heart, but something was in the way. You lifted your arm and looked down to see the beautiful necklace Loki gifted you as it rested right over your heart. You lifted up the pendant and stared at it. 

_ What do I do?  _ You laid their pondering life for a while before you decided that lying there will get you nowhere. Sitting up, you took notice that it was almost midday by the looks of the sun outside the large window.  _ I must have been out for the rest of the night as well as half of the day. _ Standing, you walked over to the french doors and admired the beautiful flowers that were scattered around the large garden.  _ Annora kissed him here.  _ Peering out into the center pathway, you imagined Loki walking her through the gardens, showing her magic. 

_ What am I doing?  _ You spun around, tearing the image in your head.  _ I have one stupid dream and suddenly I know everything. Get a grip girl.  _ Then, there was another tremor just like the one before it, you had completely forgotten. Shaking you out of your thoughts, you wondered if Loki was the cause of the tremor. Then, you set your sights on the bathroom.  _ That's what I need, a nice long hot shower to wash these thoughts away.  _ Finally set on taking a shower, you headed to the bathroom. 

You entered the bathroom and turned on the faucet to warm up the water. You looked at yourself in the mirror and noted the necklace again, it seemed to gleam on your chest. Not wanting to damage the gift, you unclasped it and set it on the marble countertop. You noticed the uncomfortable feeling of missing something, just like when you took the original bracelet off to give it to Loki. You shrugged it off as you stripped and stepped into the steaming water. 

After a nice long shower, you wrapped a towel around you to substitute for clothes. You eyed the necklace as it sat next to the sink, wondering if you should even put it back on. After a moment of debate, you decided that you just couldn’t resist and you clasped it back on, That satisfied feeling rushed back and you did not regret your choice. You made a mental note in the back of your mind to not let it out of your sight, it seems like it is a part of you now no matter what. 

As you walked out into the bedroom you gasped and nearly dropped the towel in shock. You did not expect Loki to be standing next to the California king-sized bed with your large suitcase in hand. He turned around and seemed rather shocked as well. He turned away slightly and you could see him holding back a smirk. Your face turned crimson red as you wrapped the towel tighter around yourself. You didn't dare look back up at Loki as you hastily made your way to the dresser. Behind you, you could hear him set down the suitcase onto the bed.

“Is this going to become a routine, me coming back to you barely clothed? If so, I'm not protesting.” His sudden presence behind you was alarming and you quickly spun around to face him. Taking the chance, he pulled you into a kiss.

  
  


The sudden kiss startled you and your reflexes kicked in as your hands ignited in flames. At the rising temperature, Loki responded by using his powers and returned to his true Jotun form in the process. Both of you held the kiss, balancing each other out. He cupped your face and you gripped the towel tighter. You both pulled from the kiss and stared. Loki’s skin was a pale blue and his eyes had changed from their enchanting green to a dark piercing red. You had expected anger from him but instead, you saw that ever strange emotion, affection.

Realizing there was no immediate threat, you willed the fire to diminish. You were at a loss for words, in the back of your mind you noticed that the towel was completely unscathed. Loki slowly but surely returned to his Asgardian form, but you pushed that aside for there were more pressing matters at the moment. Loki was here again, kissing you? You peaked over his shoulder and glanced at the familiar suitcase that you left at your apartment. There were so many questions swimming through your head, and it seemed like Loki understood. He decided to speak first before you could question anything. 

"I must confess, I deeply regret storming out on you like that. I believe that it was a misunderstanding and I realize that I never thought to listen to you.” He lifted your chin and you were shocked. He really wasn’t mad? “I thought about what you relayed to me the other night about my actions being unpredictable and I-” He looked at you and smirked half-heartedly. “I believe that I am still convincing myself that this is real.” You leaned into his hand.

“Oh, Loki…” He chuckled and turned away slightly like he was embarrassed. You covered his hand with yours. “I promise, there was nothing. Dimitri was helping me with my hand, I got really dizzy but he caught me before I fell.” You paused, not wanting to send him into a frenzy to hunt down Dimitri, but you continued anyway. “He- He was very flirtatious.” Loki twitched and you saw the beginnings of a scowl form, but you turn his chin to look at you. “But that was it, he was just being the lady’s man that he seems to be in the first place. Nothing else, I promise.” You smiled at him and he just stared at you. “W-What?” 

“I never thought that there could ever be a mortal like you. You are absolutely breathtaking.” Your eyes widened and your breath caught in your chest. 

_ He says it so simply like it’s obvious.  _

“Wearing nothing but my mark makes you all the more alluring.” He snaked his arm behind your back, his other hand lifting the gold and emerald necklace. 

_ Wait, his  _ mark _? _

“What do you mean by mark? Isn't it just two snakes?” Loki looked up at you and chuckled. 

“Love, you are wearing the symbol of the God of Mischief.” You pushed away from him slightly. 

“You  _ marked _ me?” He seemed to be even more amused at your confusion. 

“I wanted to give you something that would show that you are mine and mine alone.” Loki set the pendant, his symbol, down again and lightly traced the emerald snake. “It's suiting, don’t you think?” You peered down at the necklace that rested on your chest and it struck you. 

_ That’s why I have trouble parting with it, the magic with it is Loki’s.  _ He pulled away, but not after giving you a quick peck at the corner of your mouth, causing the blood to flush right back to your face again. Loki quickly turned away and gestured to the suitcase he brought in earlier. 

“As much as I love coming to my room to such a sight, I believe that you would be more comfortable in your own clothes.” Suddenly, it was very apparent that you were still only in a towel. Your eyes widened in panic as you rushed over to the large case. Unzipping it whilst also keeping a tight hold on your towel, you sifted through the case until you found the clothes you were searching for and you carefully avoided Loki’s gaze as you shuffled to the bathroom. 

Once inside, you finally discarded the towel and slipped on proper clothes. Much more comfortable, you stepped out to Loki inspecting one of your shirts. It was tossed aside in your search for the right clothes and he held it up to be your Star Wars shirt. You snatched it away from him and he looked amused. 

“Shoo, private property here!” You signaled him away from your things, afraid he might see something else far more embarrassing. You rounded the bed to put the shirt back when something caught your eye. In your haste to change, you had completely missed the pile of fabric that sat next to your suitcase. You leaned closer to examine it and you were pleasantly surprised. 

“My suit! I thought it was lost forever!” You lifted the dark red cape that you had grown so accustomed to. You also noticed that all of the modified parts were back to normal, including the short-shorts. “It's back to normal, thank goodness.” You stroked the vest and smiled. 

“Ah, yes. I did not like the alterations that were made. I hope you do not mind my restorations?” You looked at him curiously, he changed them back to exactly how they were before, you barely tell there were any changes made in the first place. 

“How did you know to change it back? They were very small changes other than the leggings?” He turned away from you, headed towards the couch that sat near the window. 

“You forget, love, that I only saw you in that for almost two years. I know when it has been changed, down to the seams.” he leaned back on the couch to look out the window and your mouth hung open in disbelief. 

_ Did he just admit to memorizing my suit? Which means he spent a long time looking at it.  _ The sudden thought made you feel self-conscious about your body.  _ How have I never caught him before?  _ You looked back at him to see a slight smirk.  _ Loki you little shit! _

Focusing back on your suit, you were curious as to why it was brought in the first place. 

“Wait, why is this here? Should I be worried?” Loki turned back to you and stood. 

“Before I sent that intolerant swine away, I came to deliver news.” You hoped that Dimitri wouldn’t come up again, afraid he would change his mind and kill the man, but you were intrigued as he continued. “I believe I know the one responsible for the attack that allowed me to obtain my freedom.” 

“Wait, the person who released the Bildishnipes?” You turned to him and he nodded. You had almost forgotten. Loki had said before that the attack on New York was not planned by him but by someone who wanted to threaten him, a common enemy. “Who?”

“He is called The Other.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are oh so greatly appreciated.


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